Era of Evangelion: Ambition and Divinity
by jcgonzo
Summary: When the end of the world comes and mankind stands at the crossroads of stillbirth or metamorphosis, some seek a third way - and will blaze it with the endless fires of ambition. Inspired by Rebuild 2.22
1. Big things, little things

A child is crying.

The hangar is in a loud panic. Technicians are running to and fro, tools and things at hand to try and rectify what is increasingly obvious as a lost cause. A man is on his knees, face blank with disbelief at his loss. And a child is crying for his mother.

"Sir! Please, don't int-"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" roared a labcoated man. On his shoulders were hoisted exposed cables – crackling in blue arcs of rage and collectively nearly as wide across as his torso. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY!" He heaves, nearly crushed by the weight, but heaves closer. "GODDAMMIT!" his voice roars in nearly unspeakable wrath. Yet more others are thrust aside with his shoulders as he heaves the crackling lightning high above him.

"GIVE ME BACK MY SISTER."

Contact.

And the world was white.

ERA OF EVANGELION: AMBITION AND DIVINITY

Chapter One – Big things, little things

The city was silent but for the padding of two feet and the rhythmic clack of a cane against asphalt. The summer-like weather cast mirages across the blacktop.

"Uncle, shouldn't we try the phone?" asked Shinji as he repositioned the strap of his backpack. He looked behind them at the road leading to the rail station.

"No, no need. The city's in emergency lockdown – phones are off. …mm? Something bothering you, Shinji?"

Shinji glanced back. "Sorry, I thought I saw somebo-"

A sudden escalation of noise – the loud droning of VTOL crafts as they slowly retreat against an unseen presence. Then, aghast, Shinji knew what they were backing away from:

A giant, mossy-green skin, impossibly thin for its size, and earthshakingly implacable with every step.

"Wh-what the hell is-"

"Sachiel," murmured the elder man. "The Coverings of God."

Unnoticed and hidden by the cacophony of the rampaging angel, the squealing of wheels against pavement encroached closer to them.

CENTRAL DOGMA

"Tank squadrons eight and ten confirm locks."

"Missile banks are ready. Network latency is low. Pinpoint lock achieved. Predicted impact spread is at fifteen milliseconds. We are ready to fire!"

"Engage!"

It was known already that, individually, the best that conventional armaments short of an N2 bomb can do is slow the beast down.

At least, on an individual basis.

Across Tokyo 3, as VTOL aircraft distract the monstrous form with heavy fire, turrets and missile banks rear up like the synchronized heads of a steel hydra. A semicircle of orange fire roared around – and for a moment, there was deafening silence.

Then chaos.

"HAH!" yelled a military commander in celebration as the dust settled, revealing the Angel crumpled upon the earth. "Sorry, Ikari, but it looks like you won't have much to-"

A flash of light, and the screen was all white.

"Shit! It's still alive! Fire! FIRE!"

OUTSIDE

"Hoh, that worked better than expected," said the older man as he patted Shinji's shoulders. "If they don't panic, we might not be needed after all. At least, not… Shinji, cover your eyes."

Hellfire, and a great purple cross. The shockwave struck the car, nearly causing it to crash into the embankment. The air was littered with the corpses of VTOL craft.

"Ah, I spoke too soon."

"What is that thing?" yelled Shinji in a panic. "What do you mean 'we might not be needed?'"

"Is he always this excitable?" asked Misato through grinding teeth as the car drifted through a curve. Shinji was thrown violently into the door, though his guardian merely smiled.

"Please give the commander's son a break," he said politely. "It's his first time in a firezone.

Another bone-jarring explosion struck, and the wailing of the injured and dying could be heard not terribly far off.

"Ah, a pity. I requisitioned automated howitzers for the exercise, but it looks as if they're using manned tanks instead."

"Feh. Waste of lives and taxpayer's money," said Misato. "…wait, why are the VTOLs retreating?"

She ripped out a pair of binoculars. "…don't tell me…!"

"May I suggest we drive very quickly towards cover?"

FIRE ZONE

A multi-stage rocket is many things.

There's a lot of fuel, for one. Especially for a model such as this. An ignition source to utilize the fuel is, of course, necessary. The fuselage has to be designed to withstand atmospheric turbulence yet remain flight-worthy. With this design, it was more than possible to achieve orbital flight.

There was also the warhead. A non-nuclear device, containing within it an almost microscopic quantity of antimatter – an expensive, yet hideously powerful weapon, capable of leveling country-sides, yet without irradiating them beyond the point of rebuilding.

There was, technically, a second warhead. An iridium spike, right at the forefront. This hit the Angel's AT field with a loud, reverberating clang. The impact traversed down the length of the warhead's caging, and triggered the explosive release of the outer fuselage.

At about this point, the blue flame of the exhaust turned an incandescent white, and the Angel suddenly realized that the missile wasn't going to just go away…

CENTRAL DOGMA

"YES!"

Again the screen was a blazing white, the cameras at-hand overloaded by the magnitude of firepower on display.

"Shockwave approaching," declared a technician, and all was static.

"A multistage hypervelocity rocket," murmured Fuyutsuki. "Your brother-in-law's work with the Americans is showing."

"Itsuki put this together as a last-minute olive branch to the JSSDF," muttered Gendo. "To give them enough to calm their collective egos."

"Do you think it'll fail?"

"No-"

The static cleared, and around the upper table, celebratory cigars fell out of hands and mouths.

The Angel loomed. Fins breathed in and out amidst the hellish flames. They could see its skin squirm, twist… regenerating. The only clear damage was an arm turned to cinders.

"I know it will." Gendo turned to the generals above him. "Gentlemen, you have demonstrated clearly that human technology is not to be trifled with. However, the enemy remains, and it will approach. With your permission…"

"…w-we relinquish control to NERV. Where are you going?"

Gendo approached the elevator. "To see my son."

OUTSIDE

"Just one more shove, Ikari-kun!" grunted Misato as they tried to right her car. "One… two… HEAVE!"

The sedan crashed upright, the springs of its suspension squealing in protest.

"Ah, lovely. We'll still be on time," said Itsuki as he picked up his cane and stood back up, dusting off his brown hair. "My apologies, lieutenant colonel, for the lack of aid, but given my disabilities…"

"It's not a problem, Director. Shinji-kun, are you alright?" 

"Ah, yes. Thank you, Katsuragi-san." Shinji helped his uncle into the car. "Will we be seeing my father soon?"

"Very soon. He'll be meeting us at the end of the elevator."

They drove off, Shinji slightly less perturbed by the violent recklessness of her driving now that he's survived the overflow of a shaped antimatter charge going off against the side of an Angel… and his uncle as unreadable as ever.

TIME: .XX

"You wished to see me, Gendo?"

The chair was turned away from Itsuki. Gendo's profile could barely be seen. "I need you to take care of my son."

Itsuki sighed. "No."

"…then I will contact Professor Ikiyama-"

"Calling in a favor, Gendo. Just a small one. Hear me out."

"…fine."

"So do you want the emotional appeal or pragmatic appeal?"

Gendo turned his chair, staring at his brother-in-law. "…pragmatic."

Itsuki scratched his bald, scarred head with a gloved hand, and shrugged. "Easy. The pilot's psychological stability is key to the operational values of the Evangelion unit. Since we know that Shinji has a high compatibility profile to the test unit – no doubt due to my sister's incident – there is a certainty that we'll be forced to utilize his talents. For that, he needs to have as close to a normal childhood as possible."

"Then you, his uncle, can-"

"I'm not done. Actually, my earlier question was a trick – there's an emotional facet either way. Tell me, Gendo – how did parental abandonment work out for you?"

The air chilled by ten degrees, though Itsuki remained unfazed. He shrugged and tapped his cane against the floor.

"You're not abandoning your son. Furthermore, if you loved my sister at all, you're going to raise him right, given that he's her son as well. I will reconsider the issue of his guardianship when NERV headquarters've been established – you will be too busy at that point to balance both your duties and your son, I think. But you're not abandoning him."

Gendo slumps into the chair, his distant and stoic form broken as he takes off his glasses, hands covering his weary expression. "Itsuki, I don't think I can do it."

"I don't give a damn what you think you know," said Itsuki as he hobbled away. "Only what you know."

PRESENT

"…so how much have you been told about what your father does?" asked Misato as their elevator lowered.

"Er… not much. It has to do with Second Impact, right?" replied Shinji as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I know he's NERV's commander, but neither him nor my uncle discusses work much."

"You weren't cleared for it until now," said Itsuki as he hummed quietly to himself. "Much of it is, after all, military in nature, and rather sensitive."

The door stopped, and Misato blinked as Ritsuko stared at her, a small smile on her face.

"Ah, Professor Akagi. Good to see you," said Itsuki as he stuck out a gloved hand. "You look well."

"Research Director Ikari Itsuki. It is an honor to finally meet you."

"No, not at all. The honor's all mine. Your work on the MAGI mainframe has been of much interest to me. Shinji, this is NERV's chief of engineering, Akagi Ritsuko."

"A-ah-"

Ritsuko smiled at the boy. "The commander's son? I see the resemblance. Hello, Shinji."

"H-hello…"

Itsuki chuckled. "He's a bit shell-shocked from earlier. Tell me, how fared the conventional arms?"

"Better than expected, due to the networked targeting program," said Ritsuko as the elevator slowed again to a halt. "But not well enough. I'm afraid the thesis holds true – that thing cannot be harmed through conventional means."

"Mm. 'Conventional' means. I suspect I'll already have a requisitions form for you soon, Akagi-san."

"Oh dear. If it's going to cost as much as the multistage rocket…"

"Hah, no, of course not." Itsuki's cheerful eyes hardened. "The missile will be cheap in comparison." The elevator dinged as it touched down.

"…ah. Hello, Father."

PAST: 2010-XX-XX

A sake bar in Kyoto. Enka's playing in the background, the lights are dim, and the sake's pleasantly warm. Despite the scent of old wood and the old-fashioned kitsch, the bar's fairly new – made after Second Impact and the resultant wars as a fond recollection of tradition and history. Itsuki thanks a waitress as she serves two trays of skewered meats.

"Unbelievably delicious," groaned Itsuki as he bit into a skewerful of fried chicken skin. "You have no idea how much you can miss Japanese food after being abroad for a year. I don't mind German food, but this is incomparable."

"How is NERV-Bethany doing?" 

"You'd know better than I, Commander," retorted Itsuki as he gnawed on a stick. "But to offer my own perspective: Shikinami's work on bio-quantum entanglement processes will delay the development of future models by some years, due to the complications of the procedure."

"We will need it done faster."

Itsuki gave Gendo a steady look. "We know what happens if we do it faster. In fact, we only don't know what happens if we do it slowly."

A silence as both men sipped from a flattened saucer.

"How is Shinji?"

PRESENT

A rough, scarred hand patted Shinji on his shoulders. "You've grown much in the last three years."

"Th-thank you. Um, how did your hands-"

"No time, no time. We'll reminisce after we've beaten the Angel," said Itsuki as he prodded them along. "Shinji, how would you like to pilot a giant robot?"

"…what?"

The lights of the hangar flickered on, and Shinji yelped.

"Your uncle and I had the Japanese government soften the target up for you," said Gendo with a straight face. "It did, however, hurt your sister in the process, I'm afraid."

"Rei? She's involved in this?"

"Everybody's involved with this," said Misato softly. "The entire world, for whole generations. But, for many reasons, only you can pilot it."

"Wh-why?" stammered Shinji in fear. "Why me?"

The entire complex shook as an explosion rocked the geofront. The lights flickered madly, casting odd shadows across Itsuki's impassive face. Though everybody else crouched, he stood still amidst the sudden thunder.

"Because it was accidentally imprinted to you. Because only the young can stand the shock of piloting such a monster. Because we've run out of weapons to toss at the monster above us."

The great purple oni face loomed above Shinji like an impassive god of war.

"Because we're all going to die horribly if you don't. Including you. That reason enough?"

OUTSIDE

The great beast groaned, causing entire buildings to shake, scattering glass across what is already the ruins of the city. The fiery scars left by the antimatter explosion were healing but slowly – embers could still be seen smoldering. It crawled almost listlessly towards its target, itself deep underground.

"Alright, Shinji. We parked you some distance away so you can get used to the controls," said Ritsuko over the line. "The Evangelion unit moves as you will it, not think it. Basically, don't imagine the word 'move,' but imagine your leg actually moving."

"Shinji, just pretend that you're two hundred feet tall," said Itsuki over the same line.

"I've never been two hundred feet tall!"

"Then pretend all the buildings are toys!"

"That… I guess I can do that." Shinji gulped as he gripped the controls. "Alright, taking a step… whoa. Whoa!"

The Eva crashed face-first.

"…that hurt. Why does that hurt?"

"You're neurologically synchronized with the Eva," explained Ritsuko. "You have as much control over it as you can make yourself believe you do. But you also feel what it feels."

"I-I see… shit!"

In an unexpected burst of grace, the Eva leapt up – barely in time as a lance of purple speared where it just was.

"Good!" barked Itsuki. "It's only got one arm, and if it sees you it can fire a weapon from its eyes – what do you do?"

"I-"

A jet of purple light. The shriveled, burnt arm… quickly grew to full, as if nothing had happened. Eva 01 was launched back, slamming into a building. The light retracted, and its head slumped forward, just before blood sprayed out from the gouged hole.

"Shinji!" yelled Misato. "Commander-"

Gendo looked impassively at the screen.

The Angel approached. An arm, long and impossibly thin, snapped out and aimed its palm at the Eva's core. The rod of light snapped back… and slammed straight through the building.

Only through the building.

It got lifted a good three hundred feet as an uppercut slammed against its core.

PAST: 2010-XX-XX

"He's been reading some of my old manga," admitted Gendo as he reached for a yakitori. "Actually, I didn't know I still had those copies – they've been in the closet since I started dating Yui, and I forgot about them."

Itsuki laughed. "You better not let your underlings know that. It'll be damn near impossible to keep your intimidating façade."

"No worries about that. I'm transferring them over to your place."

"…ah."

Gendo chewed slowly and thoughtfully. "Tokyo-3's construction is nearly complete. The labs, the research projects; everything needs to be supervised. I'll stay in contact. I'm thankful for these last few years, Itsuki."

Itsuki scratched his head and shrugged. He reached for his jacket, and pulled out a pair of black gloves, covering his steam-scalded hands with them, but one remnant of that fateful day during Eva 01's test activation. "Sure thing. I could use the company. Explain to him why you're doing this before you drop him off, though." Gendo nodded. "Oh, yes. What is the boy reading anyhow?"

"He seems rather engrossed by Hajime no Ippo as of late…"

PRESENT

Body shots. Perfectly accurate body shots against all sides of the Angel's core. It had attempted to blast him once already, missing harmlessly as a fireworks display against the night sky. Cracks appeared across the blood-red surface of the gemlike core – and now…

A straight. An armored fist sank through.

"I… I got it. I got it," breathed Shinji painfully as he clutched his left eye. "Father, I did-"

"Shinji!" yelled Misato! "It's not over!"

The broken gem pulsed – and suddenly, it was all Shinji could see. The Angel wrapped its torso entirely around the Eva, and now the core glowed, inflated-

Hellfire. Somebody screaming his name. Pain. Pain. Agony.

Then, nothing.


	2. Family Legacies

The Ikari siblings were protected, mostly, from the calamities of the post-Impact era. Their father was a high-level bureaucrat – to what organization, they weren't aware until much later. Both were bright – Yui more so than her brother, especially in the new field of theoretical biology that came out of the Second Impact. In many ways, often literal, she wrote the textbooks of the field.

Itsuki chose a more mundane field, and entered a partnership with the American Department of Defense's most clandestine weapons research and development branches – of which, during the post-Impact resource wars, was a hotbed of the most cutting-edge technologies not originating from ADAM's genetic data.

He was not physically imposing, measuring at only 165 centimeters, or a hair under five feet and a half, tall. But, like his sister, he was a kind man, not quick to anger. Unlike his sister, he was also outspoken and occasionally brash, and what he lacked in height he made up for in physical strength, often personally involving himself in the grunt work of his engineering projects – many of them multi-ton weapons platforms.

None of that was evident anymore to Gendo as he sat next to the bed of his brother-in-law. Next to what would have been mistaken at first glance for being a shriveled corpse, his flesh sloughed off by immense, nearly lethal heat. Most of him was bandaged, but for one free arm.

"Well," coughed Itsuki. "That wasn't my brightest moment. I take it she…"

"…I'm sorry."

A harsh laugh. "You're sorry? You're sorry? I helped her with the goddamn test!" Laughter choked, and tears streamed down a face scarred by arcing currents and superheated LCL. "Goddammit, Yui!"

Gendo's face was unreadable in the dim light of the hospital room. Itsuki closed his eyes as he was wracked with grief. And time passed.

"I've contacted the German branch," said Gendo after a while. "They've halted the experiments and locked the core. Doctor Shikinami has formally protested, of course."

"Good," said Itsuki. "Good. Gendo, how is my nephew?"

"Asleep."

"Then, while he's unawares…"

"I've already contacted Naoko. She's on her way."

"Good," breathed Itsuki as his vision dimmed. "It won't all have been a waste. Gendo, Yui's sacrifice…"

Reddened eyes glared out harshly through tinted glasses. "It won't be wasted. Ever."

ERA OF EVANGELION: AMBITION AND DIVINITY

Chapter Two – Family Legacies

"Did… did you have any idea that would happen?" asked Shinji, a soaked towel draped over his shoulders as he breathed heavily, still buzzing off adrenaline. "Uncle?"

"Mm, a little, I'll admit. We are aware of some of the physical properties of your adversaries," said Itsuki, nodding. "Not all of them, but…"

"Do you have any idea what it's like to pilot that thing?" asked Shinji, still refusing to meet his uncle in the eyes.

"Well… yes. Pants-soaking fear, feeling as if your skin's melting right off of your bones and a heavy enough adrenaline buzz to affect the outcome of ten Olympics. Did I get the gist of it?" Itsuki paused. "Of course, I'm probably missing the being two hundred feet tall bit-"

"It's not funny, goddammit!" snapped Shinji. "I could have died in there! I thought I was going to die! Uncle, I don't want to pilot that… that thing!"

Itsuki sighed. "Your father cut the synchronization just as the explosion went off, and the LCL acts not only as an oxygen reserve but a heat insulator too – it's a wonderful substance, in many ways. But, I admit, that's no comfort when you're caught in the midst of a ten kiloton explosion." He patted Shinji's shoulders. "We'll talk more about this later. You haven't visited your sister yet, right? The lieutenant colonel will guide you to the emergency ward – I have business to discuss with your father."

The locker room's doors slid open as Itsuki palmed the controls. Misato waved at Shinji.

"Oh, yes," Itsuki tapped the linoleum floor with his cane. "You did an impressive job, Shinji. Your father sends his compliments – and gratitude."

HIGH COMMAND OFFICE

Fuyutsuki looked out from the commander in chief's high vantage point at the artificially lit world of the geofront. "Your son managed a solid 75% synchronization rate almost immediately. On his first try as well. Are you surprised?"

"No." A case file was laid out before him. Images of the incident, including the remains of the Angel, or at least what could be found after the explosion. "I sent him off with his uncle specifically for this reason."

"SEELE is somewhat disturbed, you realize. Not at the efficacy of Sachiel's defeat, but what transpired before it."

A scarred hand reached for a small blueprint. "They would have been more so if Itsuki had another month to finish development."

"And you would have owed me a case of premium sake," said Itsuki as he walked into the expansive office. "Also, two weeks. Not a month. We'll forgo the experimental capacitors for now – I'm waiting for the Bethany results."

"What will you replace them with, Director?" asked Fuyutsuki curiously. "The energy density requirements of the project are restrictive."

"Eva battery packs," said Itsuki. "It'll only be good for one shot, given the bunker's limited volume, but it's a shot unexpected. I'll need a platoon from the engineering corps, of course."

"You'll have them. Now, about your other assignment…"

EMERGENCY WARD

"So… Rei-chan's your adoptive sister, right?" asked Misato, breaking the silence as they approached her room.

"…yeah. Her parents worked for my dad, I think," replied Shinji, still visibly angry after his confrontation with his uncle. "I think Dad told me that we're second or third cousins or something. She's started living with you, right, Katsuragi-san? Thank you for taking care of her."

"Mm, yep. She's been a good roommate. Your dad's constantly traveling on NERV business, so…"

"Yeah, I understand. I really, really understand now." Shinji sighed as Misato pushed through the door… and halted, wide-eyed at his sister.

"…hey, Shinji," said a soft voice in the gloom of the hospital room. "I heard about earlier. I'm glad you're okay."

"What… happened?"

A soft, pained laugh. "I sortied before you. Didn't expect the eye blast. We thought it had a longer charge time than it did – in fact, it had a faster regeneration time too. Father's not pleased."

Shinji's teeth ground against itself. His fist clenched in anger. "They made you… I'm going to kill-"

"Shinji." Rei's one good eye looked at him steadily. "I asked for it."

"…what?"

"I asked to go out there. It doesn't matter who pilots, Shinji. If it wasn't us, it would have been somebody else's son or daughter. The Angel would have killed us all either way."

"It's a little hard to reconcile that with wanting to stay alive, Rei," said Shinji darkly.

"It is, isn't it?" said Rei, smiling slightly. "Beats dying helplessly, though."

Misato knocked on the doorframe. "Hey, sorry to interrupt, but I just got a radio call from your dad. Your uncle's been called to the German division to supervise a project."

"Oh, alright."

"So you'll be staying with me," she said, beaming at the siblings.

"Oh… wait, WHAT?"

UNDISCLOSED

The room was pitch-black but for the nearly blinding glow of the table. Gendo Ikari's impassive face was hidden by the gleam of his glasses as, one by one, monoliths gleaming with red identifiers faded into sight.

"There were a number of irregularities with the elimination of Sachiel, Commander," said SEELE 02.

"You understand that the conventional forces are not to have a role in the situation's solvency," stated SEELE 03, blandly accusatory.

"It was the opinion of my research director that we would gain far more by allowing the conventional military to save face than to defeat it alone," said Gendo impassively.

"They were given first shot already," said SEELE 01, unconvinced.

"Without the research director's specialties in advanced weapon systems, they would have been helpless," said Gendo. "If they see themselves as useful allies to our cause, instead of subordinates, our operational parameters will be far greater. Especially at the end-game scenario."

"…acceptable," said SEELE 01. "However, Commander: Director Ikari cannot be allowed to subvert the intended plan. Do I make myself clear?"

Gendo gave the monolith a hard look. "Yes."

MISATO'S APARTMENT

"I'm home!" said Misato as the apartment door slid open. She patted Shinji on the shoulders firmly. "C'mon. This is your place now."

"Ah… I-I'm home," said Shinji awkwardly. He gingerly stepped past the doorway, burdened with five or six bags of groceries. "…it's a nice place."

Misato made a face. "Your sister makes me scrub it down every month or so. Her room's on the far end of that hall over there – you have the adjacent bedroom. Why don't you take a bath while I warm up dinner? Sorry, it's only curry."

"No, curry's fine," said Shinji, smiling a little for the first time all day. "Thank you, Katsuragi-san."

"Hey, hey. We're living together! No need to be all formal. Now go and clean yourself up."

Misato hummed to herself as her new charge went off to freshen up. She rummaged through the fridge, grabbing some root vegetables and meat to dice, and a pantry for a few blocks of dried sauce. Curry's easy to make, even for somebody of her rudimentary kitchen talents (and more than rudimentary skills with a knife), so it shouldn't take very… she paused.

"Did I forget someth-"

"YAAAAA!"

"Oh yeah."

Shinji gestured frantically to his left, his form barely covered by a water filter pitcher. "WH-WHA-WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?"

"Wark."

"That's Pen-Pen," said Misato as the emperor penguin waddled by, hitting a button on the bottom of the fridge. "He's living with us too." She lifted the pitcher and put it under the kitchen sink, filling its reservoir. Shinji was still blinking in surprise, the rather domestic tulip sitting on the kitchen table swaying dangerously before him. "…um, you might want to cover that up."

"Wha- …oh..." His face flushed, he slunk back into the bathroom, hands covering himself up.

EMERGENCY WARD

"…Father," said Rei as she stirred from her rest. A scarred hand was gently stroking her hair. "How are you?"

"I should be asking you that," said Gendo. "Are you in pain?"

"Can't really tell," she said, her words slightly slurred. "Doctor Akagi put me on heavy painkillers."

"You're surprisingly lucid."

"I slept the worst of it off. How is Uncle?"

"He's picked up his new regiment of medication and is on his way out. Sorry, I had to put him on a tight schedule. He's left you a gift when you go back home."

Rei nodded. "Tell him I said thank you, and that I hope I get to see him again soon."

Gendo nodded and stood up. He walked over to the drip feed percolating fluids into Rei, and tipped a small vial into the reservoir. "Your stabilizers, and a regenerative booster. Will you be alright to go to school tomorrow?"

Rei nodded.

"Good. And… I'm sorry about putting you out there."

Rei gave her adoptive father a small smile. "Like I told my brother, I literally asked for it."

Having Misato drive you to school is an… interesting experience.

Interesting in the Chinese sense, which is to say, after his first experience, Shinji was desperately praying that an Angel would attack. Then he realized that it'd mean that the trip would be doubled as Misato drives him _back_ to NERV HQ. At that point, he started praying _harder_. By the time they reached the school, he's realized that, given that he's fighting _Angels_, praying to God for relief might not work – so maybe praying for Third Impact instead-

"We're here~" said Misato in a sing-song voice as the car lurched to a halt. "And with minutes to spare! You have lunch money on your NERV card, and don't worry about books – your school will provide you with a laptop." She patted Shinji on his trembling shoulders and gave him a thumbs-up. "If you get a girlfriend, call me. I'll run interference on Rei-chan."

"K-Katsuragi-san!" protested Shinji as Misato laughed and drove away. Fuming in embarrassment, he stomped towards his class, swearing to himself that he'd wake up early enough to take the bus next time.

NERV BASE: BETHANY

The scramjet touched down, a mere hour after its liftoff from Tokyo. Flight crew hustled to refuel it as Itsuki yawned, lifting the noise-muffling headset off. The dim light of early morning shone briefly from the cabin door as the Bethany director stepped through.

"Itsuki. It is a pleasure to see you again," said the director, an imposing man at a solid, seven feet. "How may I help the research division?"

"Mm, could you wait fifteen minutes?" Itsuki tilted his head at the flight crew. "I would prefer some level of privacy to this discussion." The director nodded.

Some time later, they were airborne again… in the direction of Germany.

"My apologies for the delay," said Itsuki as he carefully poured out a flask of spirits. "Supersonic flight ought to render any external recorders useless, and I had the flight computer scan you for devices in the meanwhile."

"Of course. I would have done much the same," said the director as he gratefully took a glass. "The Crimean Conflict taught me much about the need for… personal space."

Itsuki nodded as he took a sip himself. "To cut to the heart of the matter, Abramoff…"

From his dark suit, the director took out a small silver case, latched with a combination lock. His immense fingers gingerly dialed the combination, paused for two seconds, and lifted the cover to a USB drive. "Fifteen terabytes of data, Director Ikari, regarding the attempts at emulating the physical properties of a Super-Solenoid lattice."

Itsuki smiled warmly, and handed the director a flash drive hidden in the palm of his hand. "Two megabytes, detailing the appended experimentation process for Unit 04's S2 core."

"Ah, a fair exchange."

"Very much so."

TOKYO-3

A dull, meaty thwack broke the peace of midday.

"Itaaaa…" complained Shinji as he rubbed his slowly bruising forearm. "That's a good punch."

"SHUT UP AND LET ME HIT YOU!" yelled Touji. He raised another fist- only to find that something was restraining it. "Huh?" He turned around slowly, a creeping horror across his face as a familiar waft of perfume drifted by. "Oh. Hi-hi, class rep. I was just-"

The cracking slap across his face made students on the other side of school look up in curiosity.

"Aida-san!" snapped Hikari. "Carry him to the nurse's office!"

"Y-yes, class rep."

"Ikari-san!"

"Y-yes!" said Shinji, spine ramrod straight. "I'm terribly sorry for the commotion-"

"Oh put a can in it," said Hikari as she glared at him. "First, I'm sorry for the idiot's behavior. His sister's in the hospital right now, so he's a little emotional."

Shinji's look of fright crumbled into shame and regret.

"It's not your fault," said Hikari, shaking her head. "She ran back home from the bunker to pick up her doll – you couldn't have known she was in that building."

"All the same, if I was quicker-"

"Ikari-san," said Hikari, eyeing him steadily. "In about five minutes, our class will be throwing a victory celebration for you. The only reason you haven't been made aware of the fact that you have an entire school's worth of fans is because we've been carefully keeping it under wraps, _with help from our teachers_. The only reason I'm telling you that it exists is because I want to make up for Touji being an idiot… and I don't want you to ruin the mood of my friends, who are, I repeat, _really, really grateful_ that they didn't die last night."

"…ah. I'm sorry," said Shinji awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, I'll shut up."

"Good," said Hikari as she spun around, silently dismissing the conversation. "Break is almost over, Ikari-san. I suggest we head back."

It was later. There were squealing cries as the girls glomped him en masse, as the guys that weren't Touji slapped him on the back in congratulations… and, just as suddenly, were giving him death glares, not all of it from the guys, as Rei entered the room and Shinji ran over to hug her and ask how she was.

There were glares to Rei too, not all of it from the girls. The sudden, chilled silence broke soon enough as they explained their relationship to the class in a hurry, though not without a slight hint of suspicion.

"Hah," laughed Rei, slightly nervous by the mob behavior of her classmates. "I don't think we had this problem in elementary school."

"I-it is a bit embarrassing, huh?" said Shinji, grinning slightly. His expression quickly grew somber. "But, Rei. Are you sure you're alright? You were seriously injured – you still have the cast and everything."

Rei waved him off with her free hand. "You should've seen the time my Eva tried to kill me."

"…wait, WHAT?"

PAST: ONE YEAR PRIOR

Klaxons wailed. Technicians frantically scurried, hammering at keyboards and calling out reports. Gendo stood impassively at the armored window as a yellow-and-white humanoid behemoth groaned in its madness.

"Unit 00 is rejecting our signals!" yelled Maya frantically. "We can't shut it off!"

"Rei," said Gendo, tapping his mic. "Rei, can you hear me?"

"I'm scared!" she yelled through the speakers. "Father! Help!"

"Disengage the power cable," said Gendo. "Rei, listen to me. You need to calm down. We don't know why it's going berserk, but the only way to make it stop is to dominate it."

"It hates me! I can feel it – oh god oh god-"

The walls smashed in as Eva 00 slammed face-first into the armor.

"Rei. Fight back. It's a beast, but it's not bigger than you."

"IT'S 200 FEET TALL!"

"Its _body_ is 200 feet tall. Its mind isn't any bigger than yours. Control one piece at a time. Start with an arm."

"Two minutes elapsed!"

No change. It began headbutting, putting deeper and deeper dents into the wall.

"Three minutes!"

An arm trembled, more and more violently, as if two invisible dogs were fighting over it. It snapped up.

"Four minutes!"

It snapped down, crushing the head in a rushing gout of LCL.

"FIVE!"

It slumped over, and Gendo broke off in a mad run.

"Get emergency services immediately!" barked Fuyutsuki, taking over for his commander as the latter frantically tried to save his adopted daughter. He could see the superheated blast of LCL, could see Gendo's entire body tensing up in pain as he brute-forced his way over the escape hatch's hot metal handles, heedless of the injuries he sustained himself in the process.

"Dammit," muttered Sub-commander Fuyutsuki. "Dammit. It better not be GEHIRN all over again."

PRESENT

Shinji looked aghast at his sister's recollection of the incident.

"And you went back _into_ that thing?"

Rei gave him an innocent look. "What? It was easier the second time." She grinned at him. "I can force monsters to submit with my _mind_." 

Shinji shuddered. "I think you've been living with Father too long."

Rei stared at him through interlaced fingers and a quirked eyebrow.

"S-stop that! You're giving me the creeps!" The siblings laughed as their class party adjourned.

They were still laughing when they made it to the parking lot.

Shinji wasn't laughing when he was nearly run over by a screech of black rubber and blue metal.

"Oh… no."

PACIFIC OCEAN – LOCATION UNDISCLOSED, TIME UNDISCLOSED

Nobody knew when the transition occurred. Satellites, their ever-present eyes roaming across the Earth's surface, couldn't pick it up. One minute, there was the vast, red expanse of the Pacific.

The next moment, an immense and elongated form, looming like a terrifying nightmare over the _Grace of God_, a small shipping boat.

The waters rumbled… and surged, great towering walls, equal to the strongest storms, slamming down and crushing the boat into splinters as the Angel sped its way towards its target, heeding the beckoning calls of the one who will fulfill its purpose.

"Shamshel," muttered Itsuki as he viewed it from afar, safely ensconced in his jet. "The Conqueror of God." He tapped a console with his staff. "Send out the alert to all NERV stations."

"Yes sir," said the slightly tinny voice of the plane's AI. "Level one alert – broadcasting."

"Let's try to beat it home, eh? We've a package to deliver to my nephew…"


	3. Courage and Carnage

Shinji at twelve years old was pretty sure he knew what hate was.

Hate was being jerked out of bed at 5 AM by his coach – egged on by his uncle – and tossed onto the nearby track just when the sky was turning a faint, dark blue on the horizon to run for five miles.

Hate was not being able to complain about it.

No, no. Wait. Hate was not being able to complain about it _and being chased by a moped_.

"You want to take up boxing?" asked his uncle some time ago, echoing the boy's starry-eyed proclamation. Shinji wasn't yet aware of the fact that his uncle's small smile at the question was probably symptomatic of some uncomfortable mischief. "Very well – but we're going to have to make a deal, alright? You can't simply run away when things get tough and you start to hurt."

"Of course I won't!" said a slightly younger Shinji, scornfully and idealistically.

And things got worse from there.

Or, rather, he'd say it's gotten worse, but other than the absurd hours his uncle makes him train under, it really is kind of fun…

Itsuki smiled as he looked on his nephew's training from afar, a pair of binoculars in hand. His cellphone rang.

"Ah, Gendo. Sorry, he's on his run right now. No, don't worry – he's doing well. All is going as planned." Itsuki's eyes narrowed. "Everything is… optimal."

ERA OF EVANGELION: AMBITION AND DIVINITY

Chapter 3: Courage and Carnage

Tokyo-3 has regular lockdown drills. It's expensive – the cost it takes to lower the solar collectors, sink the city blocks into the geofront and get everybody, absolutely everybody, evacuated into the emergency shelters (and then, in simulated intervals, into alternate shelters) could have only been maintained if the UN was footing part of the bill. But it was as necessary as it was disruptive to the everyday life of the fortress city.

It was also boring as hell.

"Tch," muttered Touji as he tapped at his game console. "Almost died that time. Kensuke, what should I do in this part?"

"Mm, probably shut it down and come with me," said Kensuke as he fiddled with his camcorder. "I've got an idea."

"Hmm? Alright. Hey, Hikari," called out Touji. "We've gotta use the restroom!"

She glared at the two suspiciously. "…alright, whatever. Don't take too long."

"Sure, sure."

NERV HQ

Nervously, Shinji squeezed the wrist buttons of his plugsuit. The blue, black and white rubbery outfit hissed and shrank to form, causing him to wince slightly.

"Yeah, that's going to take getting used to," he mutters to himself as he picked at a wedgie. A knock on the locker room's door distracted him from the discomfort. "Yes?"

"You almost ready?" asked Rei.

"Yeah, yeah…" sighed Shinji. He swung the door open and glared. "Get it out of the way."

His sister put a hand to her mouth, trying and failing to hide her snickering. "S-sorry. You're right. You do look ridiculous."

"Wait until I catch you in one," muttered Shinji.

"I look _hot_ in mine," taunted Rei. "Or maybe you're a siscon after all?"

"Who's a siscon?"

Ritsuko sighed as she tapped Rei on the head with her tablet. "It's nice to see you two getting along so well, but you do realize we're in a combat situation, right?"

Shinji looked away uncomfortably. Rei glared at the chief of engineering.

"I know," he said. "I know. I'll head off to the hangar now."

Ritsuko had a complicated expression as Shinji walked off. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

Rei sighed, weary and nervous despite her earlier behavior. "It's alright. Just… just make sure he gets back okay, alright?"

OUTSIDE

"Ah, Professor," said Itsuki, shaking Fuyutsuki's hands as the jet's engines cooled. "Shouldn't you be at HQ?"

"Commander Ikari is overseeing the operation," said the sub-commander as he shook his colleague's hand. "We will be taking our fastest courier VTOL back to base. I trust your visit to Germany was satisfactory?"

"Uneventful, for the most part," said Itsuki, shrugging. He winced as he took a step with his cane. "I can't say that the weather was particularly pleasant. Hah, I think I might be older than you in some ways, Professor."

"Nonsense," said Fuyutsuki with a small smile. "Your mind is as youthful as it ever was. I can't make heads or tails of the schematics of your latest weapon."

Ahead of them, a truck loaded a giant apparatus onto their shuttle craft – wrapped in burlap, yet massive in its presence.

"I do spoil my nephew somewhat, don't I?" asked Itsuki, laughing slightly. "We'll get much use out of this one, I think…"

HANGAR

"Um," said Shinji. "Are those battery packs on its waist?" He eyed the frame data of his Eva. "I thought the power cable was going to supply the energy?"

"Well, other than the fact that the power cable is a weak point in the overall design, your uncle's shipped in the final components of a new weapon for you. You'll need those packs, he told us."

"Oh, that's nice of Uncle Itsuki. What'd he get me?"

"You'll see. …we'll need to put some space between you and the city for it, though."

"…oh dear. It's one of his Projects, isn't it?"

A chuckling could be heard over the communications lines.

"Yes," said Itsuki. "Yes. It is."

OUTSIDE

"Whoa," breathed Touji as they exited the shelter's escape hatch, climbing onto a hillside. "That thing's huge!"

"Ooh, ooh, they're about to start firing at it," said Kensuke excitedly. "I heard that the JSSDF had requisitioned Israeli automated howitzers last month, but they weren't able to get them together in time for-"

Explosions rocked the air – a rhythmic staccato of militant rage, sending ripples across the fourth Angel's AT field, chromatic sparks as the hexagonal field buckled under the coordinated weight of firepower. It slowed to a halt, stalled by the cold, precise attack of its human enemies – and lashed out.

"Holy shit!" exclaimed Touji as they duck for cover, explosions scattering shards of metal even as far as they were. "That thing's got a hell of a reach!"

The earth started rumbling beneath them.

"Wh-what the hell?" yelled Kensuke. "What's going on-"

They gaped as the towering form of Eva 01 loomed before them, the shockwave of its entry nearly keeling them over.

EVA 01

"Target locked," declared Shinji as crosshairs floated over the Angel. "Portable railgun's charge is complete. Loading tungsten rod."

"Oh, I nearly forgot. Shinji, you might want to-" started Itsuki.

"Firing!"

"-brace yourself."

It takes a lot to knock over an Evangelion.

The kickback of a tungsten rod accelerated to Mach 20 ought to do it. In fact, it lightly charred its frontal armor as well – the absurdly energetic propulsion not only spat out a hypersonic lump of molten metal at the Angel, it released a devastating fireball that scorched to ashes everything organic before it.

It also, unfortunately, missed the Angel's core.

Shinji had to cover his ears as a scream like broken glass over chalkboard erupted, shattering windows across the city. The Angel _writhed_, its centipede-like body gouged out across its entire length. One of its whip arms hung listlessly, flickering as energy coursed painfully through broken tissue.

"Shit," exclaimed Misato over the line. "Shinji, the AT field deflected the shot. It's still alive. You need to get up."

"holy fucking shit that was awesome!" exclaimed a small, muffled voice.

Shinji's eyes widened. He looked down next to him. "Misato! My classmates!"

"I see them!" snapped Misato. "Look up! It's charging!"

It covered the distance almost in a flash, its one good whip lashing wildly at the Eva. Electrical currents arced and burnt anything that wasn't affected by the railgun's fireball and slashing at the Eva's chest plate. Shinji yelled as the pain translated through his synchronization, but he quickly reached out and wrenched at the tentacle, gritting his teeth as it began to burn through his hands.

"Shinji! Retreat!" yelled Misato. "There's a weapons silo behind you!"

"I can't!" he grunted. "They'll get hurt!"

"Dammit. Dammit! Pop the plug! Get them inside!"

OUTSIDE

Touji tugged at Kensuke. "Dude. DUDE!" He shook at his friend, caught in a fanboyish daze by the backdraft of the railgun's dramatic explosion, squeeing quietly. "KENSUKE!"

"Huh? What? Oh, shit! It's going to kill us!"

"No, you idiot!" Touji pointed at the exposed plug.

"Get in!" said Shinji's voice over the speaker. "You need to hurry! I'm not sure how long I can hold out!"

They scrambled, climbing up the drop ladder and diving into the darkness of the port.

"Wh- ahh! I'm drowning!" protested Touji.

"It's an oxygenated fluid!" said Shinji, in a hurry as he sealed the door and tapped at the controls. "Just breathe it in – see? I'm doing the same."

"Huh? Ikari?" said Touji, still not quite comfortable.

"Yeah, sorry, we tried getting this thing from a distance, but its forcefield lasted just long enough," apologized Shinji. "Anyhow, hold onto something!"

The cockpit flared to life again, and Touji nearly wet himself – a fortunate near-miss, given their closed environ, but he could hardly be blamed, now that they were face-to-face with the scarred, moaning Angel.

"Y-you're supposed to fight that thing?" yelled Touji.

"Augh, not right next to the ear," complained Shinji. "Like I said, hold on!"

He _headbutted___the Fourth Angel.

NERV HQ

Misato stared. Eva 01's horn was firmly embedded into the skull of the Angel.

"…Shinji, exactly what are you…?"

"If I retreat, it gets too near to the shelters!" yelled out Shinji. "I think I can force it back into the lake – it's already weakened!"

"What- then what are you going to do?" yelled Misato. "You're unarmed!"

"I'm going to _boil it!_"

"_What? GET BACK HERE!"_

Gendo visibly paused, and looked down at Itsuki.

The other man was humming to himself, eyes closed.

His staff trembled under his tightly clenched hands.

OUTSIDE

The Angel was sluggish. The massive damage done across its entire length by the Lilim's weaponry had already reduced its physical capabilities – the horn ramming into its head had even scrambled its equivalent of a central nervous system, though that was regenerating. Or, at least, trying to regenerate, now that the horn was stuck in it. Though its mind was incomparable to that of a human's, there was at least one emotion it shared in common with its purple and green foe:

Fear.

A great, heaving motion beneath it; was the enemy attempting to lift it up? No, not attempting. _Lifting._ It was helpless to stop it – its other arm wasn't regenerating fast enough, the protective sheathe around the whips stripped away by the hot blast of molten metal, the arcing energies hampering its restoration. It attempted to surge more energy down the other tentacle, but though the enemy's hands smoked and glowed, it didn't react in the slightest.

Fear.

A monumental thrust, and it was airborne. The whip disengaged from the enemy's hands – water! Its tentacles retracted. It was safer here. It could recover here, gather its thoughts… only, the monstrous purple visage could already be seen, the faint orange glow of its AT field before it.

It reached behind, and wrenched out its umbilical cable, tearing at the connector.

A great roar, audible even under the red surface of the cove, and the cable plunged through… and made contact.

Terror.

The Angel screamed again. It thrashed helplessly as the Eva's power supply, its immense voltaic supply, seared its flesh, the Eva itself protected only by the bubble of its own AT field. The great leviathan twisted horribly, its skeletal frame cracking and shattering under its duress. Terrifying convulsions wracked its form, spraying gouts of water in every direction, leaking LCL unseen into the red tides.

Its final thought, before its expiration, was all too human in its simplicity.

"HELP. HELP ME."

"HELP."

"H*…"

LATER

Misato sighed and patted Shinji on the shoulders.

"You do know what following orders is, right?" She stopped him mid-protest. "Look, I'll make an exception this time – you did, after all, grab us an intact Angel specimen."

Technicians could be seen high above them, shadowed by the Angel. Flares and sparks emitted from around the core as they slowly peeled layer after layer of armored flesh, exposing the red, crystalline core of its S2 engine.

"But you tore out your cable, and you drained the _entire_ battery wrestling it into submission," continued Misato. "If you screwed up… I wouldn't be here berating you. Do you understand?"

Shinji winced as he imagined the results. "It… it was really close, after all. I'm sorry, Katsuragi-san."

"Alright. Your family's expecting you back at base. I'll drive you back."

Shinji paled. "…I'm being punished, huh?" Looking at Misato's blank expression, he shook his head. "Never mind. Um. Could we make a quick stop before we head back?"

TOKYO-3 MUNICIPAL HOSPITAL – SOUTH WARD

"…was awesome!" exclaimed Touji as he gesticulated wildly. "We could see his hand burning, and I don't even want to know how the hell that works, but he just gritted his teeth and _chucked _it!" He paused, and then paled as he remembered what happened afterward. "…boiling it alive might've been a bit too far, though. And we did run out of power."

His younger sister, sitting upright in the hospital bed, laughed as her older brother recollected the incident. "That sounds awesome! So did you make up with him yet?"

Touji looked away guiltily.

"…onii-chan," admonished his sister. "That's not fair to Ikari-kun."

"I-I'll get around to it!" he huffed, his pride injured. "A-a man's gotta admit when he's wrong about somebody."

She gave him a sly look. "And a man's brave enough to tell Hikari-chan-"

"Th-that's enough out of you! Aren't you injured?"

"Haha, it's pretty lively in here," said Shinji as he walked in, knocking on the doorframe. "Suzuhara-san. I'm glad to see that you and your sister's okay."

"A-ahh. Ikari-san," said Touji, scratching his head and looking away from his classmate. "Um… thank you for saving us that time." A small thump as his sister threw something at his back. "Ow! Hey! Fine, fine." He bowed deeply at the pilot. "Ikari-san, please forgive me for my actions the other week. If it wasn't for you…" He gulped. "If it wasn't for you, we'd all be dead. Including my sister."

"No, no, please get up," said Shinji, laughing awkwardly. "It's not… I'm doing this to keep myself from dying, as much as anything. Oh, hey." He deposited a vase of flowers on the nightstand. "Suzuhara-san's little sister. I hope you get better soon. I'm sorry that you got caught up in this mess."

"It's alright, Ikari-kun," she said, smiling. "Will you come to play with me sometimes?"

"If it's alright with your brother," he said, looking at Touji. The other boy nodded assertively.

LATER: LES HALLES TOKYO-2

Following the nuclear devastation of Old Tokyo, a lot of things had to be resettled and rebuilt. Millions of inhabitants, countless yens of infrastructure, and hundreds of businesses had to be reestablished, if they weren't wiped clean outright. Jumpstarting the Japanese economy after the Post-Impact Wars was no easy task – for a while, the government was working off of the barest of strings, tax credits and exemptions abound to help keep employment and livelihood afloat. Foreign businesses, especially, were courted – no matter the industry; money just had to come _in_.

Quite unlike its pre-war state, the Tokyo branch of Les Halles was now an uncompromising bastion of French fare, shipping in only the finest ingredients, despite the lack of local resources, and hiring only the best talent it could find. It was world-famous now, especially since the original New York establishment – in fact, most of its American branches – found themselves literally underwater shortly after Antarctica… disappeared.

Rei enjoyed it quite a bit.

"'Seared foie gras?' What's that?" he asked his sister quietly as the utterly alien dish was presented before him. Across the table, the entire NERV administrative staff was happily celebrating with fine wines.

"Ooh, you absolutely have to try it," said Rei with a gleam in her eyes. "Father's taken me here only once before, and I still remember the taste!"

Shinji gingerly sliced off a sliver, and chewed thoughtfully. "…that is pretty good. But what _is_ it?"

"Fattened goose liver, silly." She squee'd happily as her own order was laid before her. Shinji raised an eyebrow at it – then both, highly.

"…wait. Aren't those snail shells?"

"Mm, escargot stuffed with garlic butter," said his sister. "Uncle's never taken you out to eat French before?"

"Haha… sorry about that," said Itsuki as he swayed over. "There aren't any good ones near my place. Here, you've got to try this wine, Rei-chan."

"Uncle!" protested Rei. "We're not of age – how much've you been drinking?"

"Ooh… just two or three glasses," said Itsuki, slightly slurred. "Oh, wait. Ibuki-saaan…"

"Y-you're off by a magnitude, sir," said Maya worriedly. "Um… maybe I ought to help you home, sir."

"Oh, that's fiiine. Everything's just-"

"Itsuki," said a stony voice.

Gendo stared at his brother-in-law, his expression hidden behind interlaced fingers and glasses made opaque by the table's candlelight.

"Ibuki-san. Take him home, please," said Ritsuko as the revelry dimmed in the awkward atmosphere.

"Shinji," said Gendo.

"H-hai! What is it, Father?"

"Have you met a girl yet?" he asked.

The entire table blinked.

"It's been a month since you started school," said Gendo somberly. "Have you met a girl yet."

"E-erm…" Only now, he noticed that his father's face was also flushed, the tinge of red hidden by the candles' orange glow.

The Sub-commander sighed as he patted his former student on the shoulder. "I'm afraid both your father and uncle had… unfortunate memories stirred up today. It's not your fault, Shinji-kun. Please, everybody, enjoy your dinners. I'll help the commander back home."

Shinji and Rei glanced at each other. The awkwardness at the celebration quickly passed, but neither of them failed to see the deadened eyes on both men of their family.


	4. Thicker Than Blood

Her grave was small. Nothing more than a marble plaque declaring her existence as a wife and a mother, her name, and the years she lived. There wasn't a body in it – no ash, no bones.

The overhead sky began to drizzle. Splotches of water distorted the text.

"You didn't bring Shinji?" asked Itsuki, a black umbrella in hand.

"He's bedridden with the flu," said Gendo, unmoved on the bench before the grave marker. Both men were dressed in dark winter coats.

"And little Rei?"

"She's with Naoko right now."

Itsuki made an uncomfortable expression. "Gendo, I don't blame you, but-"

Gendo raised a hand. "My own affairs, Itsuki."

"…fine. And MAGI?"

"Nearly complete."

Itsuki nodded. "It's an impressive piece of work. Doctor Akagi's expertise is to be kept around, if possible – her daughter as well, I'm given to understand."

"Doctor Akagi, the senior, will be retiring soon after MAGI 1's completion."

Itsuki narrowed his eyes at the man seated before him.

"Gendo, what are you planning?"

Gendo remained faced before his late wife. "Her involvement has taken on an… excessively personal level. For the security of the project, she will be removed from her office soon after."

Itsuki sighed and muttered. "You need to be a bit more subtle about how you manipulate people, Gendo. Akagi's emotional alright – she'll take it out on somebody. Maybe you. Maybe somebody close to you." He scratched his scarred head. "I'll take Rei-chan and Shinji-kun out on vacation with me. Are you alright with that?"

"She's a little afraid of you."

Itsuki laughed. "Creepy little Rei-chan? All the more reason for us to know each other better. Besides…" his eyes grew serious. "When you're handling fire, you don't want to expose it to any more fuel than it needs. Remember that, Gendo."

ERA OF EVANGELION: AMBITION AND DIVINITY

Chapter Four – Thicker Than Blood

"C'mon… c'mon… woohoo!" cheered Ayanami as the TV screen blazed with flying swords, and her brother's avatar collapsed pitifully on the screen. 

"You… you… D BUTTON SPAMMER!" yelled Shinji angrily, finger point accusingly at Rei.

"So that's, what, ten-zip?" asked Rei, laughing as she pushed the console away, wiping sweaty palms on her shorts. "You owe me crepes this weekend~"

"You know, you two really are obviously siblings," said Misato through a mouthful of ice cream. "You even look a little alike – er, other than hair color, of course."

"Er, third cousins or something like that, right?" asked Shinji to his sister.

"Yeah, sure, sure. I saw the reports," said Misato, a small spoon making another scoop of her ice cream. "But I don't look nearly as much like my cousins as you two."

Rei shrugged. "We don't think about it much." She absent-mindedly tugged at her hair. "Actually, I'd love to know myself. What kind of freakish genetics gives me blue hair anyhow?"

"Yep, you're a freak alri- ow!" Shinji winced as he rubbed his shoulders. "Tomboy!"

"Loser!"

"Dateless wonder!"

"Hey, that goes for you too!"

"Alright! Alright!" interjected Misato. "Bed time, both of you! We've a synch test tomorrow morning."

HIGH COMMANDER'S OFFICE

"…and repair on Unit 00 is nearly complete, with the exception of neural tuning," reported Ritsuko. "I must, however, report some ambivalence in the use of memristors to bridge some of the damage in the central nervous system."

"Your mother oversaw the imprinting process of the Prototype's core," said Gendo. "We have reasons to believe that the incident of a few months back is related to her work."

"You mean that she caused it," said Ritsuko tersely. "And I agree. However, nerve-stapling the Eva puts more burden on the pilot than I am comfortable with, and increases the likelihood of a generalized berserker scenario in combat – one outside of our control. Frankly, we were lucky it didn't break free during the Third's attack."

"Do you have an alternative, Doctor Akagi?" asked Fuyutsuki.

"I've finished the beta version of the updated state-mirror protocols. Assistant Ibuki and Research Director Ikari are currently debugging the test model."

"Rejected," said Gendo flatly.

"Commander!"

"We are utilizing gold-silicon memristors specifically because they emulate neurons, but are easier to restore to a blank state," explained Kodou. "There is no guarantee that the corruption in Unit 00's core won't linger, even after a non-destructive reformatting."

"You will continue the state-mirror project," said Gendo. "There will be a use for it in the near future. Now, the status on the dummy plug project."

Ritsuko nodded. "NERV-Bethany has reported difficulties in core stability – the issues are not insurmountable. Behavioral programming, however, remains a significant obstacle. The base's staff has expressed… ethical quandaries with the procedure."

"They are to continue their efforts. The assured destruction of Angels remains our overriding priority," said Gendo coldly.

"…yes sir."

"You are dismissed."

PRIBNOW BOX – TESTING CENTER

Synchronization tests are _boring_. It basically constitutes having the pilots sit in a modified entry plug and meditating for a couple of hours, slowly rubbing away at their sense of self. By now, Shinji had gotten used to the faintly coppery, organic taste of LCL.

"Hey, Rei, don't fall asleep."

"Sh-shut up!" she retorted.

"You dropped five percent there, Rei," said Ritsuko.

"I'm concentrating! Shinji, leave me alone."

"Hey, what does the synchronization percentage represent anyhow?" asked Shinji, suddenly curious. "I think I might be able to do better if I had some idea what they meant."

"Hmm… that might be true," said Misato lazily, slowly spinning on her chair. "Well, you remember what your uncle said about pretending to be as tall as an Eva, right?"

"Right…?"

"Your synch rate basically tells us how much you truly believe that," said Ritsuko. "At 25%, the bare minimum, you're willing to believe that if you move the controls, you can move a limb or two."

"Oh, and the higher it is, the more comfortable I am, right?"

"Something like that."

Shinji digested this for a moment.

"So what happens at 100%? Is it possible to reach it?"

"Mm… at 100%, you're pretty much convinced that you're 200 feet tall and wearing purple and green armor," said Misato.

"You don't want to get any higher than that," said Rei flatly.

Shinji blinked and glanced at his sister. "Huh? You can go higher than 100%?"

She nodded, grimacing. "At that point, you're not only perfectly synched, you start forgetting that you were ever anything else."

A small echo of fear skittered through Shinji's mind. Something somebody said – no, yelled, he thinks – many years ago. 400%…

"Okay, now both of your scores are dropping," muttered Ritsuko. "Hey, if I don't see improvements soon, you're both doing drills in the base gym for an hour."

"Hai…"

TOKYO-3: UNDISCLOSED LOCATION

"You know," said Kaji after gathering his thoughts in front of the enormous edifice of mechanica and electronics, sparks flying all over as a platoon of engineers welds it together. "It says something about NERV that this is not, in fact, considered a particularly vital secret."

"Eh, it's just a few billion dollars worth of spare parts," said Itsuki. "You should see DARPA's current test models. I think my colleague was only half-kidding about carving the American flag onto the moon – well, they'd need to get it into orbit, given the magnification of the inverse-cube problem by atmospheric diffraction, but…"

"You realize I have no idea what any of that means?"

Itsuki laughed. "Yes, yes. Point is that this is merely my proof of concept to Gendo. You'll notice nothing I've tried has yet downed an Angel?"

Kaji shrugged. "The last weapon did more damage in one shot than the Eva units do alone, short of an actual core breach. SEELE was… surprised by that."

"Honor to my father and all," growled Itsuki. "But all of SEELE can burn in hell, and I'd not as much as piss on them to cool them off for a while."

"Including your father?"

"Especially him." Itsuki's cane clanged against the Faraday wall around the edifice. "Lunch break, one hour. Then it's back to the grind, folks." He glanced at Kaji. "And you? What is your role in all of this?"

The investigator shrugged. "I admit… curiosity as to the terms of the arrangement you've made with the Commander. And, of course, the goals of you, him, and SEELE."

Itsuki chuckled. "My arrangement with Gendo will require you to seek another source, I'm afraid. It's enough for you, I think, that I confirm that such a thing exists. But as for SEELE…" Itsuki pondered as the door behind them dilated and they walked through into a service tunnel, his cane tapping against the hard stone floor. "You would do me a great favor, Investigator Kaji, if you could look into NERV-Germany's archives. …the other archives."

Kaji gave him a sidelong glance. "You are referring to Shikinami-sensei's incident."

"It has been… haunting me, as of late," admitted Itsuki. "On record, it is a success, and the side effect was merely a number of previously low-key psychological issues on part of the good doctor, culminating in catatonia."

"And you suspect sabotage instead?"

Itsuki paused, narrowed eyes peering at something distant. "I don't know. Even if it is, I am culpable in my involvement, Agent. I only wish to know if it was my sister's will… or somebody else."

"I'll see what I can do."

TOKYO-3 MUNICIPAL JUNIOR HIGH

"Hey, Rei's absent again, huh?" asked Kensuke as he came back into the classroom with Touji, arms full of sandwiches.

"Mm? Yeah, something about a medical exam," said Shinji as he looked up from his bento. "She said it wasn't anything major."

"Huh. She has those a lot," said Touji through a mouthful of bread as they sat down, pulling their desks closer. "You sure everything alright?"

"Some kind of blood condition. Doctor Akagi said it wasn't anything particularly dangerous, but they're keeping an eye on it, and giving her supplements."

"…dude," said Touji, his eyebrow twitching. "Not cool."

"Wh-what?" Shinji backed away a little from his friend.

"Your family doctor is the _hot as hell_ chief scientist of NERV, you live with the _even hotter_ Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi-" Kensuke nodded, arms folded. "-and your sister is the hottest, most exotic babe in the entire school! What the hell, man? Who else do you have in your harem? You better not be mackin' on Hikari!"

"Well, first of all, _gross_ at that third one," protested Shinji. "Second, she's giving you a death glare."

"Huh?" Touji turned around slowly, the color draining out of his face. "…o-oh."

"Did you say something, Touji-kun?" said Hikari, a rictus of a grin on her face, her eyes _not at all_ sharing even a ghost of a smile.

"N-nothing! Nothing! I deeply apologize for the thing I didn't say!" said Touji, bowing frantically. He yelped as an earlobe was captured and was yanked, with him along, out of the classroom.

"She really likes him, huh?" noted Kensuke. "Pretty sure she was talking to the vice president when he said that – easily distracted, that girl." He leaned in, whispering conspiratorially. "So…"

"…yeah?"

"…you wouldn't happen to be willing to give me your sis's cell number, would you?"

"…"

"I take it that's a no, then?"

Shinji rolled his eyes. "What do you guys see in her anyhow? Other than the blue hair?"

"Mm… the ruby-red eyes," said Kensuke, smiling. "The alabaster-pale skin…"

"You're doing that deliberately, you bastard," said Shinji, shuddering.

"Yep. Well, I was just curious." Kensuke leaned back, giving Shinji a smug grin. "I like my women older anyhow. Word is, though, your sis doesn't date."

"Hmm? Really? Maybe she's just too much of a tomboy."

"Tch." Kensuke whapped him upside the head.

"Ow, hey!"

"Sorry, Touji's not here to do it for me. You're blind, dude – she's the most popular girl in school. And the school orchestra's star too. Tomboy my ass." His eyes suddenly took on a gleam. "Besides, did you _see_ how her Eva handled that supersized submachine gun, before you got in on the action? I've got some underground footages of it, man! It's totally sweet!"

"Ahaha…"

A little while later, as they were walking home from school (with Touji wincing at the redness around his ears), Kensuke suddenly had a thought.

"Hey, Shinji. You don't date much either, huh?"

"Hmm? I guess not. What brought this on?"

"Dude, they had to get a crowbar for your shoe locker after the last Angel attack," said Touji. "Why _don't_ you date?"

Shinji made a complicated expression. "Eh…I dunno. I'd feel kind of guilty about it."

"Guilty?" Touji grabbed him by the lapels. "Even _Hiiragi Yuuya_ wants to jump your bones, man! The _swim team captain!_ I'm pretty sure she's gay!"

"D-dude, lay off of him," said Kensuke. "Sheesh, you're hot-blooded today." He leered. "Pent up from being in Horaki-san's presence all day?"

"Hey, screw you!" He turned back to Shinji. "But, really, what's up? Don't tell me you haven't been checking them out."

"Erm… well…" Shinji shamefacedly looked away. "It's not exactly easy, you know? An Angel can attack at any moment, and…" He absentmindedly rubbed at a small scar right above his eye.

75% synchronization. Feedback damage. Not to mention the bandages still on his hands, the bruises half-hidden by his clothes…

Touji sighed. "I get it. I get it. No wonder the girls are all over you. Sheesh. Let's talk about something less depressing."

MISATO'S APARTMENT

"Ah," said Shinji as he slid open the door to the bath.

"Ah," said Rei, holding a towel to her head and not wearing much else.

"S-sorry!" The door clacked shut, and Shinji yanked the SDAT's earplugs out. "Sorry! I didn't hear you."

"Sheesh. Give me a second while I get dressed. Pervert," said Rei. "You're still using Dad's old player?"

"Yeah. Um, hey… when was the last time anybody asked you out on a date?"

The door slid open by a few centimeters as Rei looked over, raising an eyebrow at her brother. "Are you teasing me again?"

Shinji shook his head. "No, seriously."

The door clacked shut again. Shinji looked away, embarrassed, as Rei's silhouette could be seen pulling on a bra. "Mm, got asked out by Yuuya-chan yesterday. You know, the swim captain?"

"…wait, are you saying-"

"Pfft, no. I turned her down. That playgirl's slowly turning the entire team into her harem. Hmm… and it was Taka on the choir last week…"

"I take it you turned him down too?"

The door slid open. Pajama bottoms and a tank top. Rei yawned. "What's with all these questions about my love life anyhow? Did those stooges say anything weird to you?"

Shinji scratched at his scar. "Well… why?"

Rei shrugged. "They see my hair and my eyes, and… the usual things. And now they see me as an Eva pilot, so there's hero worship too, even if I haven't done anything yet. Boooooring. I heard about your locker, by the way. They were still cleaning up the love letters when I left orchestral practice."

Shinji shifted guiltily. "That… was embarrassing." He blinked. "Oh, hey, one other thing – is there still a spot for a cellist?"

NERV HQ – ARMORY

"You know, I think we might need a nuclear reactor," said Itsuki, scratching his head as he looked upon a giant, holographic blueprint of the railgun.

Ritsuko nearly spat out her coffee.

"A small pebble-bed reactor, I think. Yeah. And a liquid nitrogen tank and feed."

"Exactly what are you doing? I thought you were repairing the gun!"

Itsuki waved her off. "That was an early test model. A one-shot. Not to mention that even at Mach 20, the AT field was strong enough to deflect it off-target by five feet. And the field itself was far lower than what was recorded off of ADAM." He sighed, and tapped the delete key multiple times. "I might have to build it from the ground up. We'll use the default configuration for now. That does remind me, though. The Positron Rifle…"

"Power density issue, same as yours," said Ritsuko, sipping at her coffee again. "Though not as significant. It's mainly figuring out how to build a containment chamber that fits the rifle and still has sufficient power to store the positronic charge."

The older man grunted. "Have you tried strapping a nuclear reactor to it?"

"What _is_ it with you and reactors?"

"Sorry, sorry." He paused. "…limited portability then."

Ritsuko glanced at her colleague. "What?"

"New idea. Gimme a week." He picked up his cane. "Oh, yes. Doctor Akagi. Thank you for the hard work you've put into the protocols. In some ways, you've exceeded your mother's talents."

She looked at him, and nodded in gratitude. "I'm honored to hear that."

"More humane too, I think. Project E is in good hands. Please treat my brother-in-law well."

She flushed, and narrowed her eyes. "Even in your position, it is possible to know too much, Director."

"Maybe." A small grin as he walked towards the elevator. "Maybe."

TOKYO-3 MUNICIPAL JUNIOR HIGH

The audition was simple. Though NERV spent generously upon the Fortress City, the schools didn't get much funding for extracurricular activities. At least not so much that they could make a name out of the program. As such, the orchestral program rarely had any problems accepting new faces – usually just the opposite. Having a blue-haired prodigy and Eva pilot in the program was some draw, but mainly via audience. Actual players were scarce.

And Shinji had been practicing.

"Lovely!" declared the program head. "Absolutely lovely. I can see how you two are related now. We definitely have space for you, Ikari-san." He shook the boy's hand and handed him a few forms. "Just have your legal guardian fill these out. Included are the practice itinerary and our schedule of upcoming recitals." He paused. "Of course, I'd admonish you about regular practice, but I understand that your official obligations might get in the way."

"Oh, he'll practice, alright," said Rei, leering a little at her brother. "I'll have the staff strap the cello on him if I have to."

"You wouldn't dare," said Shinji, narrowing his eyes.

"Heh. Heh. Heh."

The instructor laughed jovially. "Hey: an idea. Why don't you two try a duet?"

The siblings eyed each other.

"Haven't done one in a while," said Shinji.

"Afraid you'll screw up?" teased Rei.

"As if! Think you still remember how to do the first movement of Bach's Duets for Violin and Cello?"

"Huh. You're not usually that ambitious. Fine, we'll see if you can keep up!"

They took their positions, Rei's eyes half-closed as her violin was held carefully between chin and clavicle, Shinji's fingers clasped lightly over the strings of his cello.

And on cue, as their first notes sang out…

OUTSIDE

The heavens cried, sharp, terrible and inhuman.

The Thunder of God has come, in all its divine and terrible grace. The cry of unearthly trumpets leads its way. The despair of the unworthy cries a counternote as its great shadow passes overhead, great fear reverberating through the hearts of all men in its wake.

As it should be. As it shall be again.

Ramiel, the Fifth Angel approaches, and the base earth trembles before it.


	5. Thundering Omen

Studying abroad in the US, after Second Impact, was a somewhat hazardous choice for the Ikari siblings, even if it was only for the summer. The coastal floodings decimated the nation's landmass, taking with it some of its most vital economic centers – most of New England, Silicon Valley, the port of New Orleans, New York City…

What it left behind had… consequences.

In the spirit of national defiance, a massive dike project had lifted the nation's capital out of the waters – and, as a consequence, turned it into something of a fortified city. Paradoxically, it was thus something of an oasis – a relative calm point, if you ignored the Congressional chambers, as the post-Impact religious hysteria tore at the soul of what was once the most prosperous of nations.

Of course, relativity implies all sorts of things. The calm of D.C. was… enforced. SAM batteries could be seen lining the walls of the city, the nearby Petraeus Air Base maintaining tight patrols at every junction. The city was safe… and paranoid.

George Washington University. Established in the late 1800s, and well-known for its specialization in the political arts. It was patronized by those in every reach of the US government… no matter how clandestine.

And they weren't studying abroad because they particularly liked the freezing weather.

The old, visored presence of Keel Lorenz, the head of the UN's Human Instrumentality Committee, is even more daunting in person, despite the lack of dramatic shadows to lend gravitas to his authority. Shadows hide things – with Chairman Lorenz, it hid the skin-crawling horror of what constant life-support therapy and surgery has done to whatever vestiges of humanity he had left.

Their individual reactions were revealing. Yui carefully maintained a neutral expression in the chairman's presence – but even that was a tell, of sorts, clearly delineated from her expression prior to the chairman's entrance.

Her younger brother, however, was intrigued.

Vice-chair Ikari handed over a folder to each of his children. "Itsuki. Yui," he said in unaccented English. "You have both done me proud. Today, you have both received the keys to the destiny prophesized to you. Do you understand the burden you now bear?"

"Yes, Father," said the both of them. Their father nodded, and they opened their marching orders – newly minted soldiers of the Eschaton.

Yui nodded to herself. Biology was already one of her best fields since high school. The path towards her destiny was clear and familiar grounds – a mere reinforcement of her sense of purpose.

Itsuki's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Father; honorable chairman. May I seek clarification?"

"Your order is simple enough, young man," rasped Keel.

"But perhaps it is a little too simple?"

"Itsuki!" snapped the vice-chair, suddenly angry. "Do not embarrass me by talking back to the chairman!"

Keel raised a hand, stilling his vice-chair. "You wish for more responsibility?" he said, sneering slightly.

Itsuki bowed. "I merely wish to know if all I am expected to do is assist in raising the prophesized Third Child. I know little of the Scrolls, but I understand that there are many years yet before the culmination of our holy efforts."

Keel sneered openly now – a normally repulsive expression magnified by his deadened flesh. There have been none left amongst those aware of his existence that dare act as brazen. A faint spark of memories of youth floated behind the visors… dying under the cold wind of his mental machinations.

But this child was of no consequence.

"Serve SEELE in whatever means best fits your abilities," he said dismissively, his motorized chair turning him away from the newest of his minions. "By your servitude shall mankind be made great."

The Ikari family collectively rose and bowed as he departed.

A glimmer passed the eyes of both siblings.

ERA OF EVANGELION: AMBITION AND DIVINITY

Chapter 5 – Thundering Omen

The appearance of the Fifth Angel was sudden – and but for carefully scripted threat protocols on part of NERV, unexpected. The city went into lockdown immediately, civil police immediately filing out to aid trafficking and supply redistribution, transparent OLED screens over their visors updating regularly with new, tailored orders from the MAGI supercomputer.

The evacuation of an entire city, a logistical nightmare that would have taken days or weeks under normal conditions, was swiftly handled in under five minutes – a work of art that would've put any city planner to tears. Even the Children were already safely ensconced in a rapid-transit platform back into the geofront, deep underground and out of the way.

Misato paced the floor as communications officers and technicians called out status reports. A map of the Tokyo-3 area hovered before the command station, blue dots illustrating the forward defense platforms… and a giant red outline of the Angel, in the midst of them.

"The JSSDF wants to know why we're not firing on it yet," said Makoto as he covered the voicepiece of the phone.

"Its AT field is powerful enough to warp light," said Misato. "Synchronized precision fire on the Third Angel was insufficient to knock it out – we can assume that anything less probably won't even scratch the Fifth. Aoba, has the Director gotten back to you yet?"

"Not y-" A communications holograph popped up, reading "Sound Only." "Director, the Lieutenant Colonel wishes to inquire as to your status."

"The project is complete," said Ikari over the line. "As are the missile retrofits and bugfixes. All personnel have evacuated. I am redirecting full access controls to NERV HQ. Good luck, Operations Director."

"Thank you." Misato glared at the giant diamond before her, its immense and fortress-like presence almost literally reverberating with its arrogance. "Conduct field test one."

A ripple-fire of what only NERV would consider small-arms – howitzers firing at full capacity, shells detonating harmlessly meters away from the surface of the enemy, a harsh light illuminating the city as its AT field stopped every last one.

"AT field demonstrating regular surface area and range," reported Maya. "Spherical pattern of even stren- wait. Sensors are reporting an anoma… is it transforming?"

The bridge could only stare wide-eyed as the diamond twisted and warped, giant steel-like clanging echoing through the air as it took on a ring of cubes, a pulsing red core… and a heightening glow.

Misato's instincts twinged. "Close your eyes," she ordered the staff.

Even through her eyelids, she could see the immense flash. Even under kilometers of rock, she could feel the earth shuddering as Ramiel's protonic lightning tore to ashes countless dozens of equipment. It was only by virtue of their networked software and the research director's insistence on remote-controlled weapons platforms that a battalion of men did not pointlessly die.

With a clang, the Angel shifted back to its default diamond.

"It…" gulped Maya as she continued her report. "Its AT field is of even strength at all points, expanding to fit its transformations. Energy readings are… steady."

"The smug bastard," said Misato quietly and angrily. "A spherical shield?"

"You're thinking you can pierce it," noted Ritsuko. "And hit a point nearest to the AT field's surface. I note that its core remains at the centermost point – and we do not know exactly how strong its armor is underneath. The thing's our worst nightmare – a mobile, impenetrable fort."

"The Positron Cannon," said Itsuki, over the line. "Wounding it will force it to regenerate, yes? That buys us time."

Misato's eyes narrowed. "Dump the entire Japanese power grid into it, and let loose. If we can weaken it at all, it just might work…"

"Need I remind you that its AT field is powerful enough to warp electromagnetic energy?" asked Ritsuko sardonically. "And its weapon – Misato, I can tell you right now that the Evas and the pilots will not be able to stand up to it."

"I think that was pretty clear when it blew away half a mountainside," said Misato tersely. "Goddammit. We need to do something before it strikes again!"

"Um… I think I have an idea," said Shinji as his face appeared in a holographic display, the orange tint of LCL coloring his features. Misato's eyes widened as he explained it, but bit back a word of protest at Ritsuko put a hand on her shoulders, shaking her head.

Itsuki was silent, but for an affirmation of his role.

In the timeframe they had, there were no alternatives.

OUTSIDE

"I am going to _kill you_ if you get hurt by this," growled Rei over the comms. She, too, was colored orange by LCL, waiting on standby in the recently-repaired Unit 00.

"Hah… if I screw up, I'm not sure you'll have much left to kill," quipped Shinji nervously. He's seen the streaming footage of the enemy's capabilities – a devastating bolt of lightning that melted a ring around Tokyo 3, eliminating all but the outermost howitzers used in the test battery. They've gauged it as the Angel's operational limits.

Shinji was going to be right in the middle of it. And in the middle of the city. If this failed to work…

No, don't focus on the city. If he _didn't_ do this, if he didn't buy time for NERV and the JSSDF, the blood on his hands would number at 3.2 billion – not that he'd have hands left to stain with. Actually, forget about the consequences – he _was_ going to do this. He's killed two Angels already. This third one was massive, yes, but it could be taken down.

He hopes.

"Launching Eva 01!" announced Misato as the rails surged with power, dragging the purple and green giant up to the surface at nearly sonic speeds. Shinji gritted his teeth and readied himself, the Eva crouching slightly in anticipation.

The launch rail's guards blew off just before the Eva hit ground-level, and Shinji _pushed_ off.

Straight up to one of the Angel's outermost points.

Claw-like armored hands, faintly glowing with the Eva's AT field, wrenched at the nearly invisible protective shell. Tore at the elastic fabric of it. Hammered at it with its horned face, causing Shinji to wince in synchronized pain. Though cold sweat could be felt forming beneath his plugsuit as the Angel shifted forms, the glowing bead of its core gathering malevolent energies, he only redoubled his efforts.

"Now!" yelled Misato.

Eva 01 crossed its arms, just barely on time, as the white-hot beam of energy lashed out, mercilessly tearing through the Eva's AT field. Shinji cried out as the temperature in the entry plug shot up, and then grunted in pain as the Eva slammed back onto the earth, leaving a heavy dent. Far off, he could hear the explosion of superheated rock as the proton beam earthed itself.

"Drop blocks E4 and 5," ordered Misato. Explosive clamps vaporized, and Eva 01 was swallowed by the earth.

"Firing all eastern rocket batteries," said Itsuki, almost unnaturally calm. "Hypervelocity rounds are go."

And then, suddenly, there was light.

RAMIEL

What would contempt be, if increased by two or three magnitudes? Not hatred or indifference – loathing may come a little closer. Contemptuous loathing for the Lilim savagely and futilely attacking it like some wild, senseless beast. For the sinful mimicry of Angelic perfection its outer form took, the light of its soul remained weak and tarnished – an act of base desperation, in open defiance of divine judgment.

The Thunder of God trumpeted but once, and the worm fell, swallowed with almost poetic inspiration by the sinful earth beneath. It slammed back into its perfect form, and prepared its descent.

It didn't hear the returning trumpet calls until after the Lilim's arrows bit its hard flesh. Until after it noticed, too late, that a many-headed hydra of smoke and steel had materialized in the mockery's place, all at once, ramming its many heads through that small, unnoticed scratch in its bubble of self, sinking its many tungsten fangs into the blue Angel's flesh.

And with them, an unholy light.

Ramiel screamed.

NERV HQ

"Status on pilot!" barked Misato.

"Shinji's alright!" reported Maya. "Adrenaline levels spiking, but-"

The entire bridge and staff dropped to their knees as a soul-rending screech, a terrible cry of agony, washed out from the Angel. It seemed endless, shattering newly installed windows across the buildings not descended into the geofront, causing even the buildings that were to rattle in sympathy.

As it slowly died off, a man's cackling laughter could be heard.

"Th-the Angel…" Maya winced as she got back onto her chair. "Visible surface area damage at 33%. It… lost 12% of mass as well."

The Angel floated in mid-air, metallic groaning echoing out from it as it hung slightly off-kilter. A corner of it had been shorn off – smoke billowed from the stricken diamond. The light around it dimmed – as was seen with Sachiel, the Third, it drew in upon itself, a protective and nearly impenetrable cocoon as it halted to regenerate what it could.

"Give me an inch, and I will take your _flesh_," cackled Itsuki. "Operations Director, I wish to report that the Tokyo Gun laser is, in fact, fully operational."

"Congratulations, Research Director," said Misato, slumping with relief.

"Eh? Wrong target, Katsuragi."

Misato nodded. "You're right." She waved at Makoto to open the comms line again. "Shinji-kun, congratulations. Your plan worked as you intended."

"I'm sorry – it wasn't enough to kill it," said Shinji. He winced as the truckbed shuddered, shaking the entry plug. The flash of heat had left his skin hypersensitive.

"Don't be. You bought us the time we need. Are you alright?"

"I-I'll be fine."

Misato nodded, and then grimaced. Now here was the truly tricky part of the plan: politics.

"Get me the JSSDF."

EMERGENCY WARD

The base doctor nodded as Shinji downed a couple of ibuprofen pills and sank back down into the bedding. "It was a very, very good thing you fell back down," he said as he made notes on a clipboard. "Given the synchronization data, if it had persisted, you might've ended up in a coma. Heart failure was likely too. As it is, just rest up."

Rei narrowed her eyes at her brother, still clad in her plugsuit. "You are one lucky bastard, you realize that?"

Shinji shuddered as the memories of hellfire replayed in his head. "Y-yeah." To his surprise, he was hugged.

"Don't worry me like that again, baka," admonished Rei. "Father landed in Germany just now – he's glad you're alright."

OUTSIDE

Misato trembled, whether from nerves or coffee she wasn't sure at this point. A beer would be nice – maybe a few glasses of cuba libre to dull the edges. But she was on-duty until this situation was resolved.

"Even with Shinji's plan, this is going to be close," she muttered.

Ritsuko nodded as she tweaked the parameters of the simulation hologram. "Given the regeneration rate that we're observing, we'll have less than three days to work with the JSSDF in constructing the Positron Cannon. The real issue isn't the cannon, though – even without full mobilization of our engineering capabilities, that can be completed in under twenty-four hours."

"Right, right. The real issue is that we only get one shot."

"The UN, of course, wants us to drop an N2 bomb on it."

Both women rolled their eyes at the thought. It might damage the Angel further – without the efficiency proffered by the Ikaris' solution, and probably take out the geofront while it was at it.

"I don't particularly feel like committing suicide over this one," said Misato. "Ritsuko, given three days, do you think you can fabricate a one-time harness for the p-cannon?"

"Hmm. I'll have to build it for Eva 00. Unit 01 needs repairs," said Ritsuko, dragging on a cigarette. "Why three days? I can do it sooner."

"I want to make _sure_ that thing's dead," growled Misato. "Pack as much power into the gun as we can. If it gets another chance to fire, I don't know what'll happen."

OUTSIDE

Construction was swift. The entire weight of NERV's engineering capabilities was thrown at the project, augmented by the JSSDF's engineering corps. Superconductor cables were carefully spooled out and cooled to their optimal operational temperatures. The Japanese infrastructure strained to keep up not only the needs of its citizenry, but charge the immense capacitors now lining the hills of Tokyo-3. A deal was struck with China to draw extra energy from them.

And Eva 00 was parked, laid flat against the ground, with an immense rifle held to its shoulder. A giant cement block was constructed before it – a shield against returning fire.

"One shot," Rei breathed. She's practiced, hours at a time, in the simulators. Even at NERV's gun range. There was an art to sniping, and most of it was mental. Steadiness, caution, the ability to focus with laser-like intensity at a single point-

Rei shook her head, clearing her thoughts. Just because her uncle's laser made things explode messily doesn't mean the analogy was flawed. The men of her family were… special.

"Hey, make sure to come back, alright?" said Shinji, the worry on her brother's face as clear as day.

"Make me stuffed fried tofu and I'll think about it," she said with mock cheer, hiding her tension. "Don't worry, I will."

Operation Yashima was about to commence.

"Good timing," said Ritsuko over the radio as Misato's eyes scanned over the indicators in the command bunker. "The AT field is starting to slacken – though not to the degree it was before."

"And even that took Shinji, a tactical laser and a hundred bunker busters to crack," noted Misato. "How is the p-cannon's charge?"

"Ready at any time."

"Rei, are you ready?"

"Hai."

"Then proceed."

Rei chambered the charge round, and the gun's cables surged with power as positrons were formed and shunted into a relatively small vacuum, carefully kept from the walls by an intense magnetic field.

She lowered the sights monitor over her head, and increased magnification. The great blue form of her enemy, still warped and twisted with battlescars, was all she could see, the faint red glow of its core barely visible through the translucent body.

Then, her eyes widened in shock: the core was all she could see – and a blinding glow of light.

Three things happened:

The Angel fired. Ritsuko would later hypothesize that, while it was regenerating, it was also doing the same thing they were: storing energy for the inevitable attack. Its range was increased – as was the potency of the beam.

Rei's hand twitched an instance before, firing the positron cannon. The beams dashed against each other – the similar charges causing them to warp and deviate from their intended courses. But such was the power of either beam that the deviation was small – Unit 00 was sliced clean from neck to right armpit – and with a splintering crash, the Angel's AT field was demolished in one hit.

And from below, a silver ray flew up, a sonic boom in its wake, a fireball as its tail… and through the Angel's core.

Eva batteries and magnetic railings crackled and smoked in the underground bunker as the Tokyo Gun discharged its secondary ammo. A five-shot burst.

"Got you," said Itsuki, covering his eyes with a free hand as the Angel detonated, and a rain of blue shards and LCL poured down upon Tokyo-3.

EMERGENCY WARD

They had to restrain Shinji with an injected tranquilizer in order to keep him from storming the hospital. Rei, despite the burns across her body, didn't need it – she was already knocked out, catatonic from the shock. All effort was put into stabilizing her – she was put into a coffin-like stasis unit, an oxygen mask strapped to her face… and then into the surgery ward.

When Shinji finally came to, and got to see her again, it was a day and night later.

He stared at her hand listlessly as he gently held it. It was clammy and still – her pale complexion leaving her looking like a corpse. Wires protruded out from under her hospital gown – monitors keeping track of her shaky condition.

"It's like… skating over a lake," he said as Misato came in, putting a comforting hand on his shoulders. "You're deliberately keeping yourself warm. You know that, under the ice, there's nothing but cold, lifeless water. But you think that, if you're careful, nothing will happen to you."

He started to tremble.

"Then the ice breaks, and you're dragged under."


	6. Jet Alone Blues, Part One

A younger Itsuki threw up his hands, enraged at yet another defeat. A board of nineteen-by-nineteen intersecting lines lay before him and his sister, covered partly by black and white stones. A battle of wits had come and gone – and once again, the female of the species proved… subtler than the male.

"I don't get it!" he exclaimed in frustration. "I won three of the four corner fights! It was a classic play!"

"Go isn't all about combat," said Yui smiling ineffably – and perhaps, if you looked closely, with the faintest bit of smugness. "You have to consider how even your victories affect the rest of the field position." She put the final piece of the game down – and suddenly, to the trained eye, the entire board appeared to swing white, its presence overwhelming and breaking the links between three black pockets.

Itsuki grumbled to himself as he critically examined the game board. "I _know_ you're not reading as many moves ahead as I am. I'm ahead on captures – not as if it's doing me any good."

Yui nodded. "You should see Professor Fuyutsuki play. And Gendo-kun."

Itsuki shrugged irritably at the second name as he concentrated on the game pieces. "Like I can learn anything from an autistic punk like your fian-" Something clicked into place. "Oh. You're not really paying attention to the fights at all. Not nearly as much."

Yui smiled widely. "Looking ahead into the fog isn't enough, is it? Even Akagi-sensei can't program anything that can play this game well – she did her psychology dissertation on exactly why."

Itsuki narrowed his eyes, lost in a haze of infinite black-and-white futures. "Ideal outcomes. It doesn't matter if you lose a few fights if you're still within the margins of your idealized scenario."

ERA OF EVANGELION: AMBITION AND DIVINITY

Chapter Six – Jet Alone Blues Part One

It was a dreary day in Tokyo-3. A summer squall had broken over the city, grey reflecting off the shattered blue of Ramiel, slowing the deconstruction efforts of what remained of the massive, fortress-like Angel.

Even Pen-Pen was feeling the blues.

"Aw, you poor thing," said Rei as she patted the melancholy penguin, warking miserably, with her free hand. Her left arm was in a sling, and one eye was covered by an eyepatch – Misato had to help her dress that morning, and her uncle lent her a spare cane until she got her strength back. "Misato'll take you to the vet when she comes back in from the morning shift. You want me to get you something to drink?"

"Wark…" said the dejected penguin, shaking its head. A knock on the door got attention from both of them.

"Coming!" called out Rei as she picked up her cane, wincing slightly as she limped over. "Who is it?"

"Your other parental figure!" said a muffled voice. The door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a wall of bags and flowers. "Well-wishes from the NERV staff," said Itsuki through the mass of get-well gifts. "Your father's helping Shinji load up a truck with the stuff from school. Er, could I come in?"

"Oh, jeez. Sure, sure." She got out of the way as her uncle grunted his way through with the delivery, dropping it on the table. "Hey, wait. Why are you carrying all this? Your leg-"

"Powered exo-prosthetic," said Itsuki, tapping at something metal under the right legging of his pants. He was dressed in a light charcoal suit, wrinkled slightly by the load and stained with rainwater. "Testing it out for our medical team. Showcasing it at the joint-SSDF convention this afternoon. Hey, try those chocolates – Hyuga-san and Aoba-san pitched in for a box."

"Ah... sorry, could you open it for me?" asked Rei, sheepishly pointing at her sling. "Can't open the wrapping."

"Ah, sorry. Should've figured that out." Itsuki tugged at the plastic wrapping around the gift box. "So how are you holding up?"

"Mm, more embarrassed by the fuss than anything else," said Rei as she eyed the selection curiously.

"A curious attitude to take," noted Itsuki. He popped a nugget of caramel-glazed peanuts and grinned as his niece glared at him. "Not theirs, but yours. They see you as something of a young war hero, you know. You and your brother."

"S-so?" she retorted, grabbing the box away and picking a piece at random. "It's not like I asked to be a pilot. I just fit the Marduk profile for Eva 00. …ew, coconut."

"Ooh, I love coconut." Itsuki reached over for an identical piece. "Most people, I think, would've pushed to resign after their Eva tries to kill them – much less get sent into a two-day coma by a decapitating shot. I think Shinji's on the verge of forcing you to quit."

"…it's not his business to do so," said Rei coldly, dropping the lid back on the box and hobbling to a pantry with it. "…I chose to pilot of my own accord."

"You're such a responsible kid, Rei-chan," said Itsuki, chuckling slightly. "Not even fifteen years old yet and you're bearing the weight of the world on your shoulders."

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment." He gave her a hard look, despite his grin. "You should really rely on others more. You're still a kid – it isn't healthy bearing that load."

She stared at him, crossing her arms. "And how would that have stopped the last Angel, exactly? You might have put the finishing blow to it, but not one of your weapons could have scratched it without me or Shinji. There's a reason for the Evangelions, Uncle. The Angels keep on getting stronger – new weapons aren't enough. What are you going to do if the next Angel's too strong for the Tokyo Gun? Fire more stuff at it? That didn't work too great against the first one we fought off."

Itsuki snorted. "I'm getting lectured, huh? Alright, alright. I'll relent." He got back up from the chair, a soft, muted whine coming from the prosthetics. "Rei, they see you as a war hero, but that doesn't mean that they're okay with you getting hurt."

"…yeah, I know," she said dismissively. "I'll be more careful next time, alright? Have a nice trip."

"Mm, thank you." Itsuki started to walk out. "Oh, damn. Nearly forgot. Shinji'll be back late – we're bringing Unit 01 to the demonstration. Just some PR for the politicos. We'll bring him back by ten."

HIGH COMMANDER'S OFFICE

The Sephirot glowed dimly in Gendo Ikari's vast office – an ever-present reminder of the duties and machinations surrounding him and those that conspire with, in parallel, or against him. Against the blindingly bright backdrop of the geofront, his glasses seemed to glow unnaturally bright, the entirety of his expression hidden by rough fingers interlaced in an unapproachable wall. Behind him, Sub-Commander Kodou Fuyutsuki silently read off a clipboard.

"Doctor Akagi, your thoughts on the success of the Jet Alone program?" asked Kodou.

"Its development community is not aware of the biological requisites of the AT field," said Ritsuko. "However, as a weapons platform, it has distinct advantages – there are a number of technologies involved that had not yet matured during Project E's inception, especially in terms of material resilience. We may find ourselves challenged – I'm afraid Research Director Ikari's success in the field only aggravates this."

"Neither Itsuki nor the international community are fully aware of the scope of the challenge we face," said Gendo impassively. "Nor of the prophecies outlined by the Dead Sea Scrolls. Doctor Akagi… it would be problematic if the Jet Alone program is allowed to interfere with Project E's funding."

Ritsuko stared back at her boss and lover, her face a mask.

"I agree."

JAPAN AIRSPACE – OLD TOKYO

The remnants of what was once one of the world's great cities no longer glows at night. The districts blasted by nuclear bombardment have, for the most part, been cleaned up – the Diet, it is rumored, might even be looking into rebuilding some of the historical districts.

Most of it, however, has been paved over. The Strategic Self-Defense Force conference was held here as much out of the convenience of having a wide and expansive space for its showcasing as it was a reminder to the various member militaries of the UN of their mission.

The NERV delegation was amongst the largest in attendance. Five VTOLs and a megascale air carrier, hosting the repaired form of Eva 01 upon a red steel cross, flew slowly over the convention hall – a fortress of utilitarian concrete and steel, ringed at all sides by a defensive perimeter with enough firepower to warrant comparisons to the relocated UN headquarters in Geneva.

The last time an anti-UN demonstration was held, during the formulation of the UN's enlarged military structure, there had been Consequences due to the limitations of manpower during the period. Since the end of the post-Impact conflicts, this has been… rectified. With severity.

"What's that?" asked Shinji as he pointed at a massive, circular hole in the ground along the flightpath they were approaching.

"Docking port for the Eva," explained Misato. "By the Vatican Treaty, the Evangelion is considered a weapon of mass destruction – excepting special circumstances, it'll be kept in lockdown for the duration of the conference. They'll strap an N2 explosive to its spine to make sure."

"…you promised me I didn't need to pilot today, right?"

Misato laughed. "Yeah, yeah. Don't worry. It's just a friendly meeting between allied states here."

"What kind of ally straps a multi-kiloton explosive device to your back?"

"A justifiably cautious one," said Ritsuko as she half-walked, half-pulled herself to the front of the passenger compartment, deftly working with the turbulence shaking the aircraft. "In fact, originally, the weapons development symposium was supposed to be powerpoints and video demonstrations only. Then the weapons manufacturers lobbied."

"Freaking Japan Heavy Chemicals Industry," said Misato unhappily. "Who the hell would trust a self-propelled nuclear reactor anyhow?"

"…whoa," said Shinji. "Misato, are you talking about that?"

As the air carrier lowered Eva 01 into the pit, two cranes on the opposite end of the convention hall could be seen lifting a massive bulk from a flatbed truck. The white bulk, trimmed with orange, of Jet Alone loomed defiantly across from them.

OLD TOKYO CONVENTION FLOOR – HALL A

Despite itself, the internals of the convention floor looked just as ugly and utilitarian as it does outside. The carpeting, flatpanel displays, wood linings and lighting didn't go quite far enough to hide the fact that they were all currently residing in what was effectively a massive bunker.

Junichiro Sawamoto, CEO of Heavy Chemicals Industry, didn't so much as glance at the aesthetics. The fact that the place was a massive faraday cage was what bugged him. "Can't get a goddamn signal," he muttered as he angrily stowed the phone away into his suit's inner pocket.

"It's the rebar," said a familiar voice behind him. "Strengthens the frame, but also absorbs any EM transmissions. Long time no see, Jun-chan."

"Ah, Professor Ikari!" Junichiro spun around and quickly hopped off the raised demonstration platform. "I'm glad to see you! Very glad to see you! You look remarkably well."

"For all the late-night hells I put you guys through, I'm glad at least one TA's still glad to see me," said Itsuki, grinning slightly. He rapped his knuckles against his prosthetic. "Exoframe, like they prototyped six years ago for the elderly. There's still a few kinks to the hardware, but at least I won't need my cane today."

"So you'll be back to terrorizing another generation of engineers?" joked the CEO familiarly. "Oh, but you must come to the Jet Alone demonstration!"

"I was planning to," said Itsuki, his eyes suddenly narrowing. "I'm always interested in seeing how my old students have applied my lessons."

"Sir!" said a frantic new voice. A young aide walked quickly into the conference room, bringing with her a large stack of forms. "Mr. Sawamoto, you have a meeting with the joint chiefs in ten minutes!"

"Damn," muttered Junichiro. "Didn't get the scores. Ah, Professor? Would you like to come along? I believe you're cleared for this, and it is relevant to the Jet Alone project."

"I would be honored to," said Itsuki.

OLD TOKYO CONVENTION HALL – MAINTENANCE

Human security can be, at times, very much like that of a beehive. The dense population surrounding it can be a major threat to even creatures many times the size of any individual bee. Externally, it is secure against all but the most brazen of attacks.

Internally is another issue. Once you're in, you're assumed to be One of Us, and left mostly alone. Though human security, to its benefit, has more than one checkpoint, getting past them – and as the Technical Director of NERV-1, Ritsuko had clearance far higher than that of the underlings guarding the points – means getting ignored.

Convenient. Almost too convenient, even if the unimaginative JSSDF security detail were more concerned with physical security than the arcane nuances of her specialties. So the good Doctor also uploaded doctored security footages acquired by NERV's intel branch and masked her digital fingerprints as she remotely accessed Jet Alone's onboard computer.

She paused for a second to admire the almost artistic feat of engineering that went into it, chuckling at some of the in-jokes in its test documentation. They had redesigned it almost from the bottom-up after the dramatic battle with Ramiel – the company CEO had even spearheaded the effort, dipping his hands into the nuts and bolts of the business for the first time in years. There were even hints of future design templates, just as soon as the version 1.11 model was proven in combat and its inevitable kinks and bugs identified and dealt with.

Coldly, she added one more bug to the list.

OUTSIDE

"…thus saving the UN billions of dollars in operational and production costs," finished Junichiro as the powerpoint clicked to a close. "The problems with the Evangelion project are numerous, but probably the biggest of them on all of our minds is the sheer weight it burdens the member-states of the UN. For the price of humanity's future, must we sacrifice its present?"

Or Heavy Chemical Industry's profit margins, it was not said.

The generals in attendance clapped politely. This was just formalities. The actual demonstration of the weapons platform was their primary concern – though the American representative noticed a familiar face in the crowds.

Ah, small wonder. He _was_ re-assigned to NERV-1.

"Ah, a question?"

"Ahem. Yes. Ikari Itsuki, NERV Research Director. I was wondering how you are maintaining its power output. I believe the original design used a water-cooled fission reactor? Would that not prove a potential hazard in a conflict situation?"

"Ah, we have that problem licked," said Junichiro. "Two compact pebble-bed reactors where the lungs would be in a human body – the most heavily protected part of the Jet Alone platform, not to mention the discrete shielding and armor around the reactors themselves. They can be independently ejected from the craft, though doing so limits its maximum operational capabilities to ten minutes at a time, depending on how long the built-in lithium-air cells have been allowed to charge." He smiled smugly. "On the other hand, even that easily outperforms the Eva units, right?"

Another hand was raised.

"Ah, the famous Doctor Akagi," said Junichiro. "It is an honor to have you with us. Your question?"

"Even with the passive safety features of the pebble-bed design, it is still too risky to put a reactor in the front lines of a combat scenario," asserted Ritsuko. "As the last Angel demonstrated, mundane materials technologies alone might as well be paper mache in the fight for human survival – _because_ the reactors are in the center of Jet Alone's mass, they will be the first to go. Shall we breathe irradiated graphite after every one of its battles, Mr. Sawamoto?"

His smile tightened. As expected, an attack. "Working off of what we know of the three prior Angels, it is of my technicians' professional opinion that the risk imposed is minimal. So far, the only Angel with bombardment capabilities that would threaten Jet Alone is currently being torn down from the Tokyo-3 skyline – in close-range combat, Jet Alone stands alone."

"So far, every Angel has been more powerful than the last," retorted Ritsuko. "It is of _my_ professional opinion that the only weapons platform capable of head-on conflict with the Angel threat is the Evangelion platform. Despite its power limitations, it is the only platform with the technology capable of piercing the enemy's defenses."

Junichiro smiled widely. "Ah, I assume you are talking about the AT Field? A most fascinating physical effect. But you are wrong on two counts."

Ritsuko's eyebrows twitched irritably.

"First, now that we know that a general unified theory based forcefield is possible, it is only a matter of time before we are able to replicate it. Secondly, as the Tokyo Gun and the Eva-portable railgun demonstrated clearly, sufficient firepower is able to penetrate an AT field. We will demonstrate our solution along those lines in a moment. Thirdly, Doctor," he said smugly. "This at least means we won't be relying on child soldiers. I realize that NERV has adopted a… somewhat cold-hearted ruthlessness in its mission, but really. Rumors have it that Command Ikari is using his _own son and daughter_ on the frontlines."

His smile widened, if that was possible. The room had been won over, but for the two women from NERV. But they were inconsequential – soon, his company will reap the profits of its hard labor.

BREAK ROOM

The locker was a dented mess.

"The _nerve_ of that bastard!" seethed Misato. "Who the hell does he think he is?"

"My student," said Itsuki calmly. "One of the most ambitious of them too. Not necessarily the best of them, but talent loses out to perseverance."

"You sound as if you admire the creep," said Misato, glaring at the Research Director.

"I admire his goals," said Itsuki noncommittally. "Really, he's right about us committing child soldiers to the field. It'll be miraculous if Shinji and Rei come out of this war with _only_ the traumas they've picked up so far."

"And the fact that the Jet Alone program circumvents the Vatican Treaty does not alarm you?" asked Ritsuko, nonchalantly melting a plastic folder of Jet Alone's documentation. Itsuki jerked, as if slapped.

"…no, that's impossible."

"Conventional technologies. Conventional weaponry too, supposedly – well, at least it'll be more conventional than your solutions, Director. He is working with a fixed budget, after all." Ritsuko reached for a cup of coffee. "Are you surprised?"

Itsuki looked as if he had just bitten into something intensely bitter. "…somewhat. Now I see it. The Jet Alone isn't an anti-Angel weapon."

Ritsuko eyed him over the edge of her cup of coffee. "It's a tool of conquest."

Itsuki was silent, then stirred. "Oh, yes. Where is Shinji?"

OLD TOKYO CONVENTION HALL – OBSERVATORY

"Beginning activation sequence!"

"Reactor A and B output stability confirmed."

"AI core analysis complete. All green."

"Beginning movement of right leg."

"Right leg servos activating."

"'One small step,'" quoted Junichiro quietly as excitement bubbled up within him. The steel beast lurched before him on the monitor. The crowd behind him stirred – the engineering difficulties of bipedal motion were nontrivial, especially at Jet Alone's scale. But it was just _one_ of their successes – an all-terrain capable foundation for his ambitions.

Off in the distance, an American Predator-type drone buzzed.

"Beginning weapons test."

Six rods, gleaming obsidian-black, slid out of chambers along Jet Alone's massive shoulders, hissing as liquid nitrogen coolant evaporated in the damp weather. They bent forward, and swiveled.

"Firing!"

Thunder.

"Rail cannons A through E successfully engaged. Target eliminated." A smattering of cheers through the audience. "Disengaging rail cannons." Six smoking, warped barrels clanged loudly against the ground as the firing mechanisms retracted.

"Raising armored target."

"Ten feet of reinforced concrete," called out Junichiro as a massive slab rose to Jet Alone's height. "Even an Angel would find this daunting. …we think."

"Re-engaging primary weapons." Again, black rods slid out, fresh and undamaged. Again, they swiveled to meet their target.

The wrong target.

"…sir, anomalies with fire control."

Junichiro's teeth gritted together. No, no; this isn't happening. "Then get it fixed, dammit."

"Jet Alone is not accepting radio commands. Er… we're locked out."

"Sir! Targeting software is… its gone berserk!"

"…dammit." He bit his lips. "DAMMIT! EVACUATE THE PREMISES!"

OUTSIDE

The convention, for Shinji, was both immensely boring and mortifying. He was, with the NERV flight crew, assigned to oversee Eva 01 and answer questions according to the speaker's security clearance regarding the purple monstrosity – given the greater interest in the Jet Alone project, this mostly amounted to telling servicemembers that they weren't cleared for such information.

Unlike the flight crew, however, Shinji was forced to wear his plugsuit. The catcalls from the female servicemembers – and some of the males – was making him blush crimson in sheer embarrassment. "Misato's not getting dinner tonight," he grumbled to himself – just before an earsplitting roar erupted from Jet Alone.

"Holy shit," said a pilot. "Just about everybody's using railguns these days, huh? Ah, and it looks as if they're discarding it instead of figuring out the arcing problem."

"Arcing problem?" asked Shinji curiously.

"Yeah, the rails can't be used all that often. Friction and electrical arcing melts and warps the rails, so you can't fire more than a handful of shots before it… …um, are they supposed to be firing on it?"

Sparks could be seen flying off Jet Alone's armored carapace as machine gun and artillery fire bounced harmlessly off. Flickers of blue light wove a web of explosions as SAM batteries failed utterly to land a missile on it.

"Th-that's a point-defense system!" yelled the pilot in surprise. "The Israelis use it as an anti-mortar tactic, but what's it doing on-" Another explosion nearly knocked them off their feet – it rained gravel as Shinji coughed and spluttered, nearly concussed by the destruction wreaked by a wild, unaimed shot.

A terrifying cold chill went up his spine as he picked himself back up.

It was coming this way.

OLD TOKYO CONVENTION HALL – BASEMENT: EVACUATION SHELTER

"No radio communication, no response… all we've got is a passive feed on it," said a technician.

"It's impossible," said Sawamoto quietly, still stunned by the development.

"We've isolated the bug. There was a previously unnoticed feedback loop between the emergency overrides and the alpha-strike firecon order."

Sawamoto trembled. Months of grueling hard work, and one small unnoticed error to wreck it all, just because he wanted to show off with all guns blazing. "I take it you can't eject the reactor cores."

"First thing we tried, sir. It's assuming that any external hails are attempts to remotely hack it. Only an order from the Diet can disengage the software lock."

Misato stepped in, her expression harsh in the dim lights of the shelter. "Then what about its manual override? I assume you were at least competent enough to include it?"

Junichiro reacted as if slapped. "Th-that won't be necessary, Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi," he protested. "Besides, it would require somebody foolish enough to don an NCB suit and crawl into a radioactive hellhole. I'll just-"

"Sir! Jet Alone is now approaching the Evangelion unit!"

Junichiro winced. "I-I'll just call up the Minister of Home Affairs for the authorizat-"

"No time!" barked Misato. "The unit is now in direct hostilities against NERV assets! As ranking NERV officer, I now have full legal control. Stand down, Sawamoto."

He complied.

There was naught to do but ride out the nightmare.

OUTSIDE

"Shinji!" snapped out the comms link. "I'm sorry, but I need you to – eh?" Misato blinked through the holographic display. "You're already in the entry plug? Good!"

"Yeah," he affirmed tersely as he ran through onscreen diagnostics. "I saw Jet Alone start firing randomly. It just figures, doesn't it?"

Misato smiled tightly at her charge. "I'm sorry. I said you wouldn't need to pilot today, but…"

"It's alright. It nearly blew my head off, and pilots Tsuraya and Ichimoto had to be evacuated for injuries. I think I'm safer in the Eva. What do you need me to do?"

"It's got two nuclear reactors in its chest, twelve more railgun cartridges, and a laser point-defense system. We'll need you to kneecap it so we can get somebody inside for the manual override. It's located within the reactor cavity, so I'm counting on you to keep it from struggling. You can move at any time – we've remote-disabled the N2 bomb."

Shinji's eyes widened as Misato donned the bubble helmet of a hazard suit. "You're not going to personally-"

"Good luck~!"

Shinji cursed – and again, louder, as the viewscreen magnified upon six long barrels pointing directly at him. He concentrated desperately, thrusting the controls askew as Eva 01 crawled and leapt out of its pit, an AT field just barely protecting him as six lances of supersonic metal slammed apart concrete and steel.

Shinji was in a cold sweat – not only was the power cable severed, shredded to unrecognizability by the flying shrapnel, he had barely avoided being vaporized by the security measure. The bolts of metal had chewed through the security mechanism as well, the pit of concrete shaping the blast of a ruptured N2 positron core in an upward jet of hellfire that knocked Eva 01 onto all four limbs, fingers digging trenches into the concrete as an artificial earthquake rumbled angrily.

Jet Alone, however, was knocked down entirely.

Shinji popped a progressive knife out of the right shoulder blade and gritted his teeth. An opportunity presented itself – Eva 01 leapt, its long and spindly form leaving wakes in the rain as it almost literally flew at the mechanical monstrosity before it, bringing its knife down in a silver arc at Jet Alone's stumpy head.

The whine of the vibrating blade could be heard as it sliced neatly across, killing the monocular lights.

"I did it," panted Shinji. "It's – aaahhh!"

Eva 01 was thrown back as Jet Alone delivered a multi-kiloton haymaker straight into its abdomen. Shinji gagged, faintly glad that he had yet to eat, as synchronization transmitted the pain straight into his diaphragm.

"Its primary computer is held in the chest cavity as well," snapped Ritsuko over the comms. "You only disabled the primary sensors – it has backups! Destroy the limbs first!"

"Trying!" bit out Shinji. Another wild punch nearly tore Eva 01's head off, only deflected as it hastily rose an armored arm, a loud screech of tortured metal and sparks as Jet Alone's massive arms scraped against the desperately thrown up defense. Its other hand batted it aside, and with a grip that made Shinji scream in pain, wrenched Eva 01 down to its knees by its shoulder.

Another six barrels slid out with a liquid nitrogen hiss. Shinji gulped as they swiveled down, six deathly barrels taking up his entire view.

They fired – six explosions like six suns.

And all was white.


	7. Jet Alone Blues, Part Two

The room was dark but for a colorless fluorescent lamp, casting harsh, dividing shadows in the apartment's living room. It was a rare moment of defenselessness for Gendo, hunched over a pile of folders, reports, books and diagrams, glasses askew from the haphazard positioning. His breathing was steady – then seized, a terrible grimace.

He jerked upright, horror caught in his throat before it could wake his son in the next room. Dreams. Nightmares have plagued Gendo Ikari for half a year now. The same scene over and over.

It fueled him. It spurred him on. But for the painful teeth grinding and nail-shredded palms, he'd have welcomed it. In a way, even with Yui gone, he had purpose in his life. Mainly, to get her back.

He bit back a curse and glared down at his notes again. In data terms, he had mentally consumed close to a terabyte of information in the last few months, much of it in the form of software simulations and diagrams, though a significant portion of it also sheer, overwhelming text. Much of it was beyond him, even with his technical background and his work with his wife. But that was alright. The kernel of truth he was searching for wasn't in the musculature physics of the Evangelion units; wasn't in the pilot neurology advisory reports from Doctor Akagi; wasn't in his brother-in-law's work with Sohryu in Germany. They were all related, but the core was elsewhere.

The core was in two things. The Dead Sea Scrolls, obviously, was one of them. The few scraps of parchment released to the general public were nothing more than the religious equivalent of a grocery list – rituals and minor legends from the long-forgotten Judaic sect that had found the relic. But they had stayed there, through persecution, through famine, through disease, and finally through death, because of what they did have: a direct line to God's Will. The true Scrolls were, in modern parlance, a data storage device. An alien relic, containing within it… everything: purpose, intent, future. Prophecy and destiny.

The second part was in Eva 01's core.

"There's no way she wasn't aware of the risks involved," he muttered to himself, rubbing his weary eyes and setting his glasses back into place. "For somebody of her caliber, it was too obvious. Even I noticed." A muted slam as a clenched, frustrated fist landed on a stack of binders. "So… Yui, why?"

"Father?" yawned a voice behind him.

"Ah. Shinji. Did I wake you?" asked Gendo, setting the documents back in order and turning around.

"No…" mumbled the young boy. "I'm thirsty."

"Then I'll get you something to drink. For now, go back to bed."

"Alright." Shinji rubbed his eyes. "…Father, when will you bring Mama back home?"

Silence. Water poured out of a glass pitcher.

"Someday."

ERA OF EVANGELION: Ambition and Divinity

Chapter 7: Jet Alone Blues, Part 2

All was white.

Visual and auditory feedback overwhelmed. The afterimage and echo of screaming agony as Shinji charged forward, head ducked, lifting Jet Alone straight off the ground as Eva 01 was propelled from the back by the fire and discharge of the enemy's last six railgun shots. Pain was his entire world – Shinji screamed in agony, LCL bubbling wildly as he thrashed against the enemy, heavy battleplating denting under the weight of his punches.

He could feel the fire burning on his back. The LCL smelled and tasted of charred flesh. A ringing echoed through his head, a painful crescendo, and the zenith of absolute fear.

He could hear somebody screaming. Misato? Akagi-sempai?

Mother?

Black out.

OLD TOKYO: CONVENTION HALL EVACUATION BUNKER

Her laptop screen had been flashing red for ten seconds now.

"…we're screwed," whispered Ritsuko, her eyes wide open as, on-screen, the entire assembly could see Eva 01's jaw restraints warp and crack.

"I-I thought the Evas could only run for five minutes on battery?" asked Junichiro in morbid fascination as the great purple beast roared at the heavens.

"It has a… classified self-defense mechanism-" she flinched as its massive jaws sank into Jet Alone's remaining arm, the terrible cry of tortured metal echoing through a now silent audience. "It can be said that the battery limit… is meant to restrain it."

"H-how do we stop it?"

She looked at him coldly. "This is the difference between Jet Alone and Evangelion, Sawamoto. The Jet Alone _may_ defeat Angels. The Evangelion _will_. It won't stop until it is victorious."

They could only look on in horror as armored claws sank into the gaping wound that was Jet Alone's neck… and pried. Heavy slabs of metal that stood up to artillery fire, to missiles, and to the recoil of its own immense guns tore in half under the Evangelion's madness.

Unit 01 crouched and roared over its slain foe, a hellhound wreathed in flames.

And all was still but for the gentle rain.

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION

"…a nearly unmitigated public disaster, one that should rightfully see you sacked from your position," said SEELE 05 poisonously. "To have the Test Type go berserk at the SSDF convention of all things!"

"A public disaster, if it is such a thing, only existent because of this Committee's lack of foresight," said Gendo, treading in dangerous waters. Not that it was apparent upon his expression. "The Jet Alone project… Heavy Industries was not the sole underwriter. The JSSDF and the UN by extension was heavily involved in its conceptualization – a decision that could have only been made… here."

He stared at the monolith of SEELE 01. Silence from the chairman – a stay of execution, for now.

"As it is, NERV has gained much: a demonstration of the superiority of our project, the fear of Heavy Industry's chairman, and respect from the JSSDF. Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi's actions in securing and deactivating both reactors, despite the heavy damage done by Unit 01's attack, has been given formal commendation. We've come out of this clean – the only question is why this committee has allowed the production of what is apparently an anti-Evangelion weapons platform."

"And yet the Jet Alone project continues," rasped Kihl. "Though now under NERV supervision."

"We look forward to working with Mr. Sawamoto," said Gendo blandly. "Especially in the development of N2-based capacitors."

PAST: 3 DAYS EARLIER – OLD TOKYO

"Junichiro," said Itsuki, his voice barely heard over the buffeting winds of VTOLs and helicopters leaving the convention port. "I wish to speak to you for a moment."

"If it is about Jet Alone, the JSSDF has requested that we redirect its technologies towards improving existing infrastructure – Project E, for example. I'm afraid I've lost to Doctor Akagi."

"Bullshit," said Itsuki sternly. "Junichiro, why are you even working on the Jet Alone in the first place?"

The other man sighed inaudibly in the chopping winds. "Professor, it looks more and more certain that NERV will, in fact, win against the Angels. But at what cost to the world? Japan, and many other nations besides, aren't so trusting of the UN that they'd willingly leave them with a monopoly on Evangelion technology." He patted his professor on the shoulder. "Look. Ikari-sensei. We both develop defensive technologies. But the best defense is a good offense – and right now, the UN has developed the best offense. I have my duties as Heavy Industries' CEO and as a Japanese citizen to ensure that our own capabilities will match the challenges of a post-Angel world. Peace after the Angels depends on it. You understand, right?"

Itsuki's fist tightly clenched as all but the last aircraft lifted off.

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION

"Regardless of what this committee thinks of my methodology, I have garnered the results necessary for the completion of the Human Instrumentality project, and will continue to do so. Do you doubt my commitment to the project, or merely the happenstance of its expression?"

"…it would be wise to watch your tone," rasped Kihl. "And do not think we are not aware of the scope of your own ambitions, Ikari. The realization of a century's work towards humankind's ascension will not be derailed by your petty familial concerns. You may not be expendable, Commander, but you can be _replaced_ – do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," said Gendo, after a moment of silence. "My apologies, chairman."

"As to your request for NERV-Germany's transfer: given the status of the First and Third, and the timeline of the prophecy, the Committee has agreed to reinforce your capabilities. That concludes our business for today. You are all dismissed."

The lights flashed on. Gendo sat in a room lined with green panels. Kodou stood nearby, next to the door.

"They will send a watcher, of course," said Fuyutsuki. "Perhaps even… him."

"They will be sending two watchers, one to oversee the other's loyalty," corrected Gendo. "Of course, this has been planned for."

PRESENT: GEOFRONT – NERV HOSPITAL WING

"I've considered pulling you out," said Gendo as the doctor handed Shinji back his shirt. Shinji winced as he gingerly donned it, the gauze and medical tape along his backside tugging slightly at raw skin. "You didn't come out of this with more than minor injuries, but that was only because of… timely intervention."

"Yeah, what was that about anyhow?" asked Shinji, visibly upset but distracted by the irritation of the mild burn across his backside. "I blacked out, and nobody's telling me anything."

"…for now, consider it a self-preservation program," said Gendo. "More will be explained when appropriate." He got up, smoothing out the lines of his uniform. "Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi is on duty - do you need a lift back to her apartment?"

"Um… if it isn't too much trouble…"

The drive back to Misato's place was quiet – almost too quiet, in comparison to Misato's usual breakneck pace. Shinji stirred a little restlessly, discomforted by the almost oppressive silence.

"Um… Father," he started. Gendo's eyes barely flickered. "What… exactly, are the Evangelions? I-I figured, since I'm piloting them, I should know more about-"

"The Evangelion Project is an attempt to kickstart human evolution," said Gendo suddenly. "Eva 01, in particular was – is – your mother's masterpiece. The 'berserker' mode that activated when you were knocked unconscious is what happens when we lose control of it – most of the armor you see on the Evangelion actually serves as restraints." He paused as he took a turn left, past a line of trucks. "In order to save the human race, you're piloting what will basically be its replacement."

Now the silence was awkward for an entirely different reason. Shinji rubbed his ears.

"…I understood maybe one out of every five words of what you said. What do you mean replacement? What do you mean it was Mom's 'masterpiece?'" A glimmer of what he felt before he lost conscious resurfaced, and a connection was made. "…Dad. _How did Mom disappear?_"

"I wonder about that myself," said Gendo quietly. They pulled up to the apartment complex's parking lot. "We will discuss this more when I have time. Please inform your sister that there will be a third Pilot coming in a week – and to rest up. The next Angel isn't due for a while."

"Another pilot? What do you mean – wait, you _know_ when the Angels are attacking?"

"…you don't seriously think I'll tell you everything yet, do you? Go rest up. Tell your sister I said hi."

"What-" The doors closed with a thud. "Dammit. Fine! Keep your secrets! See if I care!"

"Of course you care," said Gendo mildly. "You're my son. And you haven't even thought of quitting, despite your injuries." The car revved off, leaving Shinji fuming in its wake.

"Goddamn Machiavellian bastard…"

He stomped back to the apartment, back tense and painful at the bewildering conversation. "I'm home," he said as the door slid open. "Father says hi."

"I can tell. Your brow's all furrowed and you look like you bit into a lemon," quipped Rei as she lounged on the couch, a manga in hand. "He was being cryptic again, wasn't he?"

"_Yes_," said Shinji through clenched teeth. He flinched as his back and neck protested the tightening of muscles. "Aahh, ow. Okay, I need to take a soak. Is Pen-Pen in the bath?"

"Mm, nope. Birdbrain's taking a nap. Epsom salt's under the sink, by the way. I heard you went berserk on Old Tokyo." She looked up from her book. "You alright?"

Shinji paused as he neared his room. "…they're hiding a lot of stuff from us, huh? What the Angels are, what the Evas are… and we're supposed to pilot without knowing anything."

"Well, have you tried asking anybody _but_ Dad?" Rei fixed a blood-red eye on her brother. "You do realize that, despite acting like a bottle fairy half the time, Misato _is_ third-in-command for a reason, right?"

"Oh, what, I should just say 'Hey, Misato, why don't you tell me everything you know about NERV and the Evas? Sure, Dad said it was okay?'"

Rei laughed, her blue hair splayed over the couch's arms. "Alright, maybe not that directly. We are pilots, though – our security clearance isn't just for show."

"Have you been digging around?" asked Shinji curiously. "How much have you found out?"

"Mm… only that there's a reason why the Angels are targeting Tokyo-3 specifically." She shrugged with her uninjured shoulder. "Honestly? I'm not sure if I want to know too much." She made a face. "Doctor Akagi… doesn't like me too much. If I snoop around too much… you know how she gives Misato that _look?_"

"Haha… I know what you mean. I'll be careful then."

DOWNTOWN BAR

Ritsuko's expression could be mistaken for mild amusement at first glance. But there was nothing amused about it. The small smile on her face contrasted harshly with her stone-hard eyes – a look intended and quite successfully communicated the thought "you are but a specimen under my microscope. Give me a reason not to discard you into the incinerator."

"Sorry, sorry!" said Misato apologetically, showing up in a knee-length black one-piece dress. "Didn't mean to be so late – I still had claims paperwork to fill out from when we had to dump part of Block E to recover Eva 01."

"You sure you weren't flirting with Makoto instead to get access into the Sub-commander's research archives?" said Ritsuko, raising an eyebrow.

"…ah-hahaha. Would I do that? Here, I'll buy the first round."

They settled at the window view after picking up their drinks – the basement bar had a rare view of the Geofront, the near-evening dusk filtering through fiber optics to cast an orange glow across the inverted cityscape. Below, the blue prism of Central Dogma glinted like the hilt of an obsidian dagger.

"Say, Ricchan… the Commander was out on that meeting for quite a while, huh?" said Misato, sipping at her beer. She eyed her friend as the blonde took a drag from a cigarette.

"I'm not surprised," said Ritsuko. "China and Russia have both contacted Sawamoto about the Jet Alone design. And my colleagues in Nevada have been pushing for a raise – I think the CIA's been in contact with them again. I wouldn't be surprised if Commander Ikari got a dressing down from SEELE."

"Jeez, how irresponsible can you get?" asked Misato, slumping onto the counter. "We're fighting a war for survival here – and they want to play the same old geopolitics gig?"

Ritsuko sipped thoughtfully at her cosmopolitan. "It's because they think we're not necessary."

"Eehhh? We're the ones doing all the work!"

"And you've been doing it quite well. Only, I think it was a mistake to let the Research Director to have as much influence as he-"

"Psst, quiet," said Misato suddenly. She jerked her head towards the rear – the bar's heavy oak door quietly slid shut, and the arrhythmic, unsteady tapping of a cane could be heard.

"Bartender: a double bourbon, please." Itsuki grimaced as it burned down his throat. "…ah, Katsuragi-san. Akagi-san. Good evening."

"An interesting coincidence running into you here," said Ritsuko. She ignored Misato's frantic hand gestures. "Have you heard about the international response to the recent incident?"

Itsuki made a sour face. "Right to the heart of the matter. Yes, I have. What's more, they're divvying up into two camps – Jet Alone sponsors, and those demanding that we open-source the Evangelion technology. Heh. Of course, they're also fighting amongst themselves as to whether the other even deserves to have such technology." He slung back his drink. "Gendo won't let me resign. The bastard."

"Surely you're not regretting giving the nations of the world hope that they, too, can fight back against the menace," said Ritsuko flatly. "Your work has been… impressively effective, after all."

Itsuki glared at her angrily. "You know as well as I-" He paused. "…this isn't the appropriate venue for this discussion." Misato eyed the bartender – to Itsuki's surprise, the man bowed and left the scene. "…damn. I wanted a refill too. Section 2 moonlighting?"

"This is a NERV bar, after all," said Misato. "I apologize for Ritsuko's sudden lack of manners, but I am curious too. What exactly was the deal between you and the commander?"

Itsuki played with the ice in his glass. "…I wanted to prove that the Angels were beatable on purely human terms," he explained slowly. "There's a prevalent attitude amongst theoretical biologists that the human race has reached the end of its evolutionary adaptability."

Ritsuko nodded in familiarity. "The declining birth rate, mass psychological instability expressed in suicides, divorce and mob activity… the opinion's controversial, of course. Much, though perhaps not all, can be blamed on Second Impact."

"I didn't want to believe such a conclusion," said Itsuki darkly. "I still don't. The Commander and the UN committee think otherwise – stealing Angelic technology, hybridizing the human genome… pah. Cargo cult rituals of supposedly heavenly designs – but maybe they have a point." He sighed, suddenly weary. "I joined this fight because I figured that using my talents to ensure human survival was the noblest thing I can do. I should've figured that they'd be using it as an excuse to get back to stabbing each other's backs. Maybe we have reached the limits of our capabilities, if this is the best we can do."

"That's awfully naïve of you," said Ritsuko mildly, sipping at the last of her drink. "Did you really think it'd be any different if they had waited for after we defeated the Angels? The technology was bound to be used for less noble purposes eventually."

Itsuki furrowed his brow in frustration. "…maybe you're right. In the end, human ambition really is just that limited."

"No," said Misato quietly. "You're wrong about that too. Director, what do you know about the Second Angel?"

Ritsuko gave her friend a warning glance. "Need to know basis, Misato."

"As operations director, I think he needs to know," said Misato firmly, arms folded tightly as the bar's windows shone behind her. "Ritsuko, the Evas are close-range combat units. It'd be fine if we were fighting in the Sahara, but their operational range is limited to the city. If he's aware of our strategic and tactical limitations, then we can work together and do something to cut down on the casualties we get every battle!"

"And what does that have to do with giving him a guided tour around Termi- around Level E?" demanded Ritsuko.

"Because…!" Misato looked away. "Because I agree with him. I don't know what the Committee's got planned, but I do know it isn't… what's the phrase? 'Anthropologically beneficial.' They call themselves the 'Human Instrumentality Committee,' right? How obvious can you get?"

Ritsuko narrowed her eyes. "You realize you're skirting the edges of treason with that idea, right?"

"It isn't treason to want to know that the lives I jeopardize aren't wasted," said Misato defiantly. "What are we fighting for if it isn't the human race, Ritsuko? And if that isn't what we're fighting for, _why are we fighting at all?_"

They stared at each other. Ritsuko broke eye contact and sighed. "I'll inform the Commander of your concerns. He's _not_ going to be happy about this."

"When, exactly, has my brother in law ever been happy?" asked Itsuki, raising an eyebrow.

"You stay quiet," said Ritsuko, eyes flashing. "We're not done here Everybody in this room has been keeping secrets – _especially_ you, Ikari.

"When did you _start_ being a SEELE informant?"

Itsuki winced. "Now that… is a very complicated question."

MISATO'S APARTMENT

"Hmm… Misato's late tonight," said Rei as she picked at her dinner.

"I'll get some saran wrap and put her share in the fridge," said Shinji between bites. "You okay? I thought you liked mapo tofu – is it too spicy?"

"No, it's fine," said Rei. She bit down on a spoonful of painfully spicy tofu. "Pretty good, actually. Hey, that new pilot's coming tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah. Kensuke and Touji wanted to come along to check out the new unit too. Well, mostly Kensuke."

"Feh. Those dweebs. Well, it'll be interesting to have a new pilot to help out." She gave her brother a sly look. "Pick up your slack, so to speak."

"H-hey! I'm not the one that got beheaded!"

"Unfair! If you were around to carry a shield like we originally planned, I would've been fine!" She huffed and turned her nose up at him. "Besides, the replacement parts are already in and everything."

"Yeah, yeah. Maybe the next one can give you a trimming around the stomach – do you think we can use synch feedback to cut weight?"

"Why you-!"

LOCATION UNDISCLOSED – HOSPITAL WARD

Dim lights, and the steady, electronic droning of life support equipment. Heart monitors beeped steadily, its red light pulsing in an unchanging rhythm.

A young woman, her hair tightly wound in a red bun, thin glasses perched on her nose as her eyes skimmed quickly through a dense tome, dressed conservatively head to toe, waited by the bedside.

More light seeped into the room as the door was opened behind her.

"Miss Shikinami."

Notes were jotted across the entire margin of the book – more were being made in spidery writing as her hand skittered across relevant passages. Its title could be seen typed on the upper margins of each page: "Theoretical Biology – Consequences and Developments of Post-Impact Advances – Vol. XII, Ed. 2."

"Asuka."

"I… will be right with you," she said. "If you will dispatch somebody to my apartment to pick up my luggage, please. There are only three boxes."

Kaji scratched at his chin and sighed. "Alright, Asuka. Meet me outside in five minutes."

"Ten," she said, with finality. "I will need a little more time with Mother."

"Just promise me you won't kill the Research Director?"

Asuka's book slammed shut.

"I will make no such promise, Agent Kaji."


End file.
